Pakistan: Swiss couple released

Hardly the people will believe that the Swiss couple had escaped from the custody of unidentified Taliban in Waziristan and they managed to reach a check post from where they had been rescued and taken to Rawalpindi in a copter. The Swiss Couple was kidnapped in Loralai District some eight months ago as they were on their way from Dera Ghazi Khan to Quetta presumably on their way to Iran. Senior most officials of the District made frantic efforts to locate them and they failed. The couple was overpowered and whisked away from Loralai and later on taken to Waziristan on way to Zhob District of Balochistan. Highly professional people had conducted the kidnapping of the Swiss couple as they successfully dodged and misled the local administration, including expert Levies officials who specialized in knowing the areas. Surprisingly, kidnappers did not make any claim or issued demand for money for very long. It was unusual that the kidnappers kept quiet for so long and for no reasons as if nothing had happened or they were not in possession of valuable Swiss Couple for bargaining. It seems that the kidnappers were not desperate people to advance their cause through kidnapping foreign nationals. It is also intriguing that how come the kidnappers knew the tour plan for the individuals, two unknown people on a tourist visa? Were they intercepted and whisked away to Waziristan without local help? However, another kidnapped person Dr Ajmal Khan, Vice Chancellor of the Peshawar University, who is a first cousin of Asfandyar Wali, revealed the fact that the Swiss couple is being released in return of freeing hundreds of detained Taliban prisoners and also tens of millions in cash. He made the disclosure days before through a video message to the world complaining that the Taliban captors are demanding release of only four Taliban prisoners and the Government of Pakistan is paying no heed to his request. He also complained that he is a Pakistani national and being ignored by his own State and Government while hectic efforts are being made to get the Swiss Couple released rather swapped with Taliban prisoners and tens of millions rupees.
In any case, it is good news that a foreign couple is released unharmed and the incident of hostage taking had not brought bad name for Pakistan. Presumably, the Government of Pakistan, in return, rightly expects that the Swiss territory will not be allowed to be used against Pakistan. It was the message of the Spokesman of the Foreign Office while briefing the newsmen at the Foreign Office a couple of days ago.