KABUL:The Afghan defence officials handed over Ali Haidar
Gilani, son of former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, to the Pakistani authorities a day after he was rescued during a joint operation of the Afghan and US special forces, the Khaama Press reported.
Ali Gilani was handed over during a ceremony in the Ministry of Defence of Afghanistan attended by top Afghan officials and Pakistan’s Ambassador Ibrar Hussain. He left the Ministry of Defence compound for the airport where he will be picked by an airplane of the Pakistan Air Force.
Ali Gilani was kidnapped by gunmen during an attack in Multan in May 2013.His two associates were killed during the kidnapping which took place on May 9 as he was contesting for the general election from PPP-200 constituency in Multan.
“Ali Gilani was rescued in Giyan district of Paktika province by US special operations forces and Afghan commandos in a partnered raid,” the Afghan media quoted a statement by USFOR-A as saying. “A counterterror mission was planned and launched after evidence of terrorist activity was confirmed.”
In Islamabad, Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said that senior protocol officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and brother of Ali Haider Gilani were on board the special aircraft to pick Ali Gilani.
Kasim Gilani, the brother of Ali Haider, posted a picture on Twitter before departing for Kabul to bring his brother home.It is pertinent to mention here that Ali Haider Gilani was recovered after three years of captivity in a joint operation of US and Afghan forces in Afghanistan.
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