Taliban release videos of kidnapped Swiss couple
The videos show the couple calling upon the governments of Switzerland, the United States and Pakistan to meet the captors’ demands.
The TTP, as reported earlier, said they would release the couple if the US freed Aafia Siddiqui, a female neuro-scientist sentenced in 2010 for terrorism and is currently held in the US prison.
“We call upon the Western world to put pressure on America for the release of Aafia Siddiqui,” TTP deputy chief Waliur Rehman had said. “If America does not agree to her release then our shura (council) will take a decision about the Swiss hostages,” he had added.
One of the hostages can be seen saying “our lives are at risk” if the demands are not met, in one video.
The Express 24/7 correspondent Iftikhar Firdous reported that the source of the video could not be confirmed.
TTP sources told the German news agency that the couple was still alive, although the videos made public on Tuesday were five weeks old.
The Swiss foreign ministry did not wish to comment when contacted by AFP, saying only that a crisis group was still working for the release of their two nationals.
Swiss nationals David Olivier, 31, and Widmar Daniela, 29, were abducted by unidentified gunmen in Loralai on July 1, according to media reports.
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These are some frustrated ppl who actually kidnappers but since they also need to grow fear in others call themselves Talibans and do not understand that because of these ppl the entire nation is suffering.
@Muhammad Rohaan Sadiq: as if your beasts have a mind that would think rationally you must sure have grown on these cartoons.Now you can irrationalise these into ur twisted thinking
@MarkH:
Well am not trying to carry out any investigation what so ever but as far as confirming the date is concerned, I don’t fully agree with this method as one can pick up any outdated newspaper to prove any thing. For example, I can take a picture of myself holding a newspaper from 1971 (well before I came into existence), it doesn’t mean I was present at the time of Indo-Pak war and played an important role. To me it appears as if you agree with whatever is published in the news. How can you be so sure that it was TTP who did this before? I would personally not trust any news against Pakistan or involving elements in Pakistan unless my own research says so. People who can put words into the mouths of animals (Cartoon Network), they can put (any) words into anyone’s mouth. Stop being critics towards Pakistan only and analyze the news thoroughly before coming to a conclusion.
@Rational: Janab sahib, how often have I read comments of our country fellows, who feel sick and tired of Afghan refugees and want them to be deported to their country, whereas thousands are in the meantime born and brought up in Pakistan?
Is this racism or a protest reaction?
Similarly Oliver`s exaggerated comment should be viewed as a protest reaction. In fact the whole world is mocking at us, because in Pakistan it is the rule of total anarchy and religious mania.
I was born like my parents, my grandparents X 6 in the walled city of Lahore. My cultural identity is for me of supreme value then anything else in this transitory world.
@goggi
I believe I would speak for most of us here when I say that there is a concern for the couple that was abducted, no human should have to suffer or go through what they are right now. It is not that we have double standards and don't care about them, we do and we want them to be set free unharmed so they can return to normalcy. But where was Oliver's concern when the blog was about people being killed or harmed that weren't 'white'. His concern in its own right is racist, as is most of ours. Each human life is equally valuable, had this swiss couple been an Irani couple, I have my doubts Oliver would have felt the same. That is the nonsense I personally am sick of and quite sure most other people are as well. His rant is no different than that of channels like CNN,Fox,BBC when a single Israeli is killed as opposed to the hundreds in Palestine.
Having said that though we are also not going to hear rants from people who do not make educated statements directed towards us at their own discretion. If that is something that can get us united then so be it. Because while we see a lot of differences within ourselves, to the outsider we are all the same and their remarks are directed towards all of us, including you mind you. The remarks made by Oliver are to be taken at a personal level, and most responses to his statements are an explanation within a retaliation. I agree that Pakistan is at fault, but at the end of the day what is Pakistan? a piece of land? a geographic location within South Asia? no. It is nothing more than a population of people. So if you are going to constantly blame and corner people, they will not respond in a positive manner no matter what the circumstance is. If you want things to work out, work with the people, not against them.
@Ikramuddin Akbar: I did not say that the kidnapping was justified. And my thinking is not by any means 'negative'. What Oliver said made no sense because the kidnapping took place in Pakistan, not in a western country, which would mean that deporting all brown skinned people back to where they belong would not solve the problem.
@everybody, Oliver Avarch is not reading your comments.
@ Noman Vardag - You mean abduction of citizens of "non neutral" countries is allowed in Islam?
The Swiss Government and people are not a party to the Afghan conflict. Abduction of citizens of neutral countries is against Islamic teachings. The abduction, long imprisonment in Bagram, Kangroo trial and very long punishment of Dr. Afia Siddiqui in USA, for an imaginary offence accurring in Afghanistan, is even more shameful.
common Guys, don't be so naive, you really think "Oliver Avrach" is a "Swiss"!!!
This is honestly so sad, i feel terrible! whats going on with the world :(.. people kidnapped, thousands of innocent people dying! is there any hope for the world? :(
@Jawad U Rahman: I agree - I keep my fingers crossed that nothing like this happens in India - there are now not just tourists, there are now thousands and thousands of Westerners working in regular jobs in the big Cities
@Muhammad Rohaan Sadiq: Please do not get into an investigative profession where peoples lives are on the line. The paper was to show the date. Not location. And yes, the fact they chose Swiss people to try and get something out of the US being a little bit of a dark joke is not new. If it wasn't for the fact they may die, the very idea TTP thought it would work would be funny. Maybe you missed the boat the last time they tried to exploit this couple in the media.
I realized that i made a mistake after posting my comments referring the kidnapped couple as the compatriots of Oliver, hope readers will forgive me and i will not be handed over to Taliban for this "sin" of mine.
By the way what were the Swish people doing there in Lora Lai where even i as pakistan had to think 100 times before going there.
Are the undercover agents of the west. Even if Swedes want to help, they could have hired local people at front end.
Dont say we want your money. We already have deposited billions of billions of dollars in your banks, from which you also earn millions of dollars as revenues.
And for goods sake, stop blaming us. Please go ahead with your idea of stopping us to going to west and you also stop coming to us. But mind yuo, your world cannot sustain without us. Most of the global resources are in third world countries, and you people are there to siphon all the resources in your country while leaving us as poor as possible. I wish you break 100% relationship with us. But alas, you hypocrates know only to blame, but are clever enough not to break ties..
"What is that Swiss couple doing in Pakistan?" - This question embodies Pakistan's state of affairs pretty much. The country is becoming so isolated that we wonder why a 'foreigner' came to Pakistan?
@Fundyar: Maybe Taliban are acting in behalf of The Tooth Fairy!
This proves that Afia had links with such elements
@Sri: "What is that Swiss couple doing in Pakistan? This is a genuine question." Trekking from India to Iran. That is why they were in Balochistan.
All these people writing to Olliver obviously do not want to give up their cosy lives in Europe/North America. But they DO want to kidnap an old tourist couple for no reason other than the fact that they are white. Talk about double standards.
As for the people who say that these Taliban are funded by Inida, I have a few questions: 1) Why did Pakistan sign Nizam-e-Adl with these guys if they are Indian agents? 2) Why are they asking for release of Aafia Siddiqui if they are Indian agents? They should probably ask for imprisonment of Haafiz Saed or Dawood Ibrahim - if they were truly Indian agents. 3) Recently the APC came up with a decision that we should negotiate with 'our people'. So why does the APC consider Indian agents as 'our people'?
I am finding it illogical but funny because 1. They have abducted Swiss citizens and demanding to free Dr. Afia Siddiqui who is held by United States and 2. I have seen the image of the same couple on another source holding a Pakistani newspaper perhaps to prove they are in Pakistan (If TTP has claimed the responsibility they don’t have to do such thing to prove this). These were the two things I have noticed and my personal opinion is that its just another propaganda against Pakistan.
Well, as understandable the frustration may be, Oliver's post is taken right out of the manifesto of proud bigots worldwide. There are things that transcend all human boundaries and one primary one is stupidity.
But, the people blaming foreign agencies are no better. They're just saying it in a less direct way. Oliver says to deport and contain all Pakistanis for their misdeeds saying they're all that's wrong in the world. You guys blame everyone outside your own borders for your problems only needing the criteria that they aren't Muslim and if they're Westerners too, there's no doubt they're behind all of your misfortunes. They're actually a little worse. When he calms down he'll probably at least admit to himself he said some stupid things. Most others such as many of them on here after calming down will post another comment somewhere else thinking they actually should have said more. You also equate peace with the complete and utter purging of non-Muslims from your affairs.
See a trend? Ever hear the saying "It takes one to know one?"
Deporting Muslims/Pakistanis wont solve the Issues, Withdrawing Nato/US Troops from the Muslim world Would. Who are there for Political and Economic Goals only.
@Nawaz: He asked that visas be not granted. He did not ask for the deportation of US citizens. After the Times Square Bomber, do you think he is not right in being worried?
As long there are lawless states-within-state inside our borders, ruled by ANY Taliban (friendly, unfriendly, strategic asset, allied etc), we will continue to see cases like this. It is unbelievable that a nuclear state with the world's seventh largest army allows territory within its borders to be ruled by thugs, kidnappers, and criminals. This incident is a small side effect of that, the worse ones are disastrous for the state - but nobody seems to care.
Please pay ransom and get these people out, never to come back again. Nobody needs your help. If they can defeat great empires and super powers, they can also help themselves
Pretty clear that this is a classic case of kidnapping some white people to hold ransom -- the Swiss are not members of NATO and have nothing to do with the conflict in Afghanistan. Similar to kidnapping children - bad guys can rationalize any behavior to justify their nefarious goals.
@Oliver Avrach: I can feel the pain a family can have or you as the kidnapped couple's compatriot when somethuing like that happens,our sympathies are with you but you are wrong to advise countries to ban Pakistanis,Afghanis, and others ,no country will listen to you ,You should not see this incident in the perspective of religion or nationalism,they are criminals and have been doing for money and now politics is involved in it.this is not the only case many have been kidnapped in the past.Now what i want to tell you that terrorism like this is not unique only in the east or in Pakistan or Afghanistan alone.In fact it started in Europe first.Spain, Columbia (S.America) and Italy have been almost ruled for decades by ruthless mafias. who killed and kidnapped a lot of people, in some areas of Brazil tourists dread to visit despite protection.So when you come out of your rage pray for them.
To all my country people who feel insulted at the reaction of @Oliver Avrach:
Isn't it funny that you people are suddenly so united to offend this gentleman`s frustrated reaction? You demonstrate with your irrational counter attack, how uncivilised and backward we people are. It is the utmost need of the moment, that we all unite with our whole energy to eradicate our self-made taliban criminals. They don´t hide somewhere in caves, rather in each of us.
My dears you cannot exist as a nation with hypocritical double standards. Shame on us that we do not have one sympathetic word for the abducted young couple.
@Pakistani: "Oliver Avrach? Why would you do that. How are Pakistanis responsible for this ill-crime. "
Because these people were tourists in Pakistan when they were kidnapped. The kidnappers expectation is to get Aafia Siddiqui released - where Aafia is a Pakistani citizen. Also Pak establishment encouraged this whole 'free Aafia syndrome' even though she was convicted through due process of law. SO who else would someone blame if ot Pakistan?
It is so interesting...Oliver asked for deporting Pakistanis, and Pakistani's threatened to cut off oil ! What oil ? The oil of Saudis ? Does Pakistan control that ? Wow ! Do the Saudi's know that ?
@Nawaz: dont worry;there are more people in usa who are humane and ready to take on these bigots;he does not set-up us policy
Another bluff of TTP barbarians!!! They are running low on money supply by RAW and CIA I suppose! These TTP terrorists have NOTHING to do with Islam or Pakistan, they're our enemies playing in the hands of RAW and CIA!!! The entire country knows it that who created and sponsored TTP after the Afghanistan invasion by the US after 9/11 but now they're spine has been crushed by Pakistan Army so all they can do is kidnappings to earn some money and International media attention!!!
@Oliver Avrach Its a global conspiracy by Israel, India & CIA to defame Pakistan and its tourism industry.
@Amenah Jafarey: I 'm sorry, I don't agree with your reaction against a person whose compatriot's life is at stake.Wherever they have been kidnapped it has nothing to do with the venue of the incident that took place.what matters is the crime, does anyone has any right to kidnap a Canadian or American national just because he did not qualify the immigration test of USA and CANADA ? I am not a very good advocate of these people but i can say that mostly Europeans and Americans are by nature adventurer and put their lives sometimes in peril not knowing what lies ahead in these areas and most of the times misguided by some local people.To kidnap someone either for money or political reasons is crime .These people must be rescued and sent to their country.One of the reasons that we Muslims are being targeted world over is also because of our negative thinkings and not judging the case accurately.hope you wont mind.
@Ris: They were backpacking across from India to Iran. Pakistan is on the tourist trail you know, and some people I guess still make the trip across.
@Oliver Avrach: OK, What your people were doing here. You must not also come here.
@Oliver Avrach Also it will be a good idea if your ask western nations to withdraw their troops fro these countries and stop interfering in their internal matters.
@oliver avrach i am sick and tired of western people coming to Pakistan; violating the laws of the land; collecting vital data; committing murders; smuggling drugs; engaging in espionage and then going back only to publish distorted stories.Pakistan, afghanistan and all mideastern countries should deport these people immediately. this is tit for tat.
This is aRAW/CIA/Mossad conpiracy to malign pakistani tourism industry whiuch is one of the fastest growing in the world. These couple are german agents who have themselves gone into hiding. I am sure truth will come out soon on this
One more in Pakistan's reputation.
What is that Swiss couple doing in Pakistan? This is a genuine question.
@ Oliver A: I understand your emotional outburst but let's keep thing in perspective, terrorism and Pakistani are two different subjects. Blamining all Pakistani is like saying saying that NATO is a war criminal organization. Oliver if you don't like brown skin then it's a different story.
OLIVER.... I think you have enough for you...but gentlemen if pakistan afghanistan and middle deport all the westerners and stop giving oil...then you guys would be living without energy...no electricity...no cars...no industry...Gentlemen your greed for oil and resources is the reason for all...
the way you are thinking same people are thinking in these countries..because you guys are living on their oil and other resources....
Kidnapping innocent people to finance their agenda is simply unacceptable and using the name of Islam is even worse. These people are nothing more than Thugs and terrorist. they can only understand the Drone language and so they deserve it.
@wahab butt:
I'm assuming you're in your own little world when you say that.
It isn't possible for the army/US to bomb these terrorists without any civilian casualties. And that's exactly what's happening due to drone strikes - innocent lives are being lost, and people are protesting against them.
Think before you speak.
I never knew that Taliban are getting diplomatic to get people sympathies of Pakistan, perhaps a good strategy, but I believe that people of Pakistan will never forget the blood of their brother Pakistanis specially innocent civilians who got killed for nothing. However, I would love to see both the Swiss Couple and Aafia free and alive. Let the peace be made on every side.
@Oliver Avrach
Excuse me genius ! This is a case in which a western came to Pakistan. Not the other way. So, ur comments don' make any sense..
Lets hear the excuses, RAW-CIA-Mossad out to malign Pakistan? And before someone says what were they doing in Balochistan as tourists: They were traveling to Iran.
@Oliver Avrach. Good to know that you are Swedish. Just to point out that the TTP didnt come all the way to Switzerland to pick the two abducted people . Actually they were abducted from Pakistan. So deporting doesnt solve the problem!!Think and Speak.
I would label it as a colateral damage which is acceptable to the whole western world. @Oliver Foreign forces invaded Afghanistan and they are defending their motherland in whatever way they can. Those who are immigrant workers in western world, most of them are good people. Instead of such lame ideas its better to come up with good solution.
@ Oliver Avrach,
While I understand your feelings, this is a classic example of how all things brown are treated once they cross into Europe and further west into North America. All seen as the same, all labelled Arab. All seen as extremists, to the point that Sikhs were mistaken for Muslims and killed in the U.S in retaliation to the actions of 9/11. To these people, the TTP. They view all things fair the exact same way as well once they wander into their territory (Not that I call it theirs). My point here is that racism and violence will always beget the same on the other end. So your suggestion isn't going to find you the peace that you are actively searching for. It will get you a lot more of what we are ALL already sick of.
Last but not least, you seem like a short sighted person, fine you go ahead and deport all of these people. In retaliation the Arab world cuts your oil, (Muslim countries have 60% of the worlds oil), that creates a domino effect all through out the world. Makes the West even less competitive in the production field gives India, China and Brazil the opportunity to cash in on such a drastic decision allowing them to strengthen themselves to cater to the huge consumer needs of Europe and N.A which will obviously die out with time. I could go on for a long time and possibly send you a short book on this but I'm hoping this is enough to explain to you how absurd your decision and desire sounds.
@Oliver Avrach: If USA exit from Afghanistan. Pakistan would be much peaceful place and these incidents won't happen. Why swedish couple came to that sensitive area?
@Oliver Avrach We share same sentiments. Please ask/protest against EU/your govts funding of these terrorists. You only speak when one of your citizen suffers. We suffer such atrocities everyday. Please do this for all the humanity. With prayers for quick recovery from Pakistan.
@Oliver Avrach: I can't quite understand what you are trying to say by your comment. The Swiss couple was kidnapped in Loralai, not in the western world. This has nothing to do with immigrants in other parts of the world. If you care so much about the welfare of your people, maybe they shouldn't be hanging around in a provincial district known for its presence of Taliban militants. So THEY should have 'gone to their country and stayed there'. You're right sir, enough really is enough, but your argument is invalid.
Ruthless and Islam-less barbaric Taliban.
i think this pic is takin from lahore region..! coz its background, a gift paper on a board...!
Oliver Avrach? Why would you do that. How are Pakistanis responsible for this ill-crime. The world wants us to fight its war for them and they also want to blame us for it.
Oliver: you comment is a. It out of place here, But ya send them back, but in any case.. The Swiss must be let go, it's wrong even though they did help in the holocast funding... Maybe the Taliban are acting in behalf of those killed in concentration camps
@Oliver Avrach: how can you say that?? we want your money and at the same time, we want to islamise you all.
why would you capture someone who came here for helping Pakistanis?
Hide your children. It looks like their money supply is running low again.
i am against US for committing human rights voilations in the name of civilization and i am also equally against such voilations being committed by TTP in the name of Islam