Fear can hold you prisoner, hope can set you free: Shahbaz Taseer

Assassinated Punjab governor’s son returns to Twitter with these powerful words

While mystery continues to shroud Shahbaz Taseer’s release from captivity, the former Punjab governor’s son took to Twitter on Saturday to celebrate his freedom.

Shahbaz was recovered by security forces from Quetta on March 8, almost five years after he was abducted by gunmen from Lahore.

“Fear can hold you prisoner, hope can set you free - good to be back,” Shahbaz said in his first ever tweet since recovery four days ago.

https://twitter.com/ShahbazTaseer/status/708530553566400513

Shahbaz is the son of slain Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer, who gunned down by his own guard in 2011.



Shahbaz was reunited with his family on Wednesday after he was flown from Samungli Air Base to Lahore.

On March 9, he broke his silence since returning, by posting a status from his wife's Facebook account.

[fbpost link="https://www.facebook.com/MaheenTaseer/posts/10153903763315126"]

The circumstances of the release still remain murky with the top officials of Balochistan government saying they had been unaware of the recovery.

On the other hand, security forces said they recovered Shahbaz after conducting a raid on a compound in Kuchlak district.



Further, a senior Balochistan police officer had claimed his counter terrorism team had found Shahbaz when they raided an abandoned house.

The release came nearly a week after the execution of Salmaan Taseer’s self-confessed killer Mumtaz Qadri.

Qadri, a former police commando, assassinated Taseer in Islamabad’s Kohsar Market on January 4, 2011 for his support to a blasphemy accused.



An anti-terrorism court later convicted and condemned him to death – a ruling also upheld by the Islamabad High Court and Supreme Court.