Peshawar professor under Taliban captivity appeals for release

A professor from a university in Peshawar under captivity of the Pakistani Taliban has appealed again to the government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to accept the militants’ demands for his release. In a new video received Thursday, Professor Ajmal Khan, vice-chancellor of the Islamia College University (ICU), called out to Awami National Party (ANP) chief Asfandyar Wali Khan, the Peshawar High Court, the Governor and the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhawa province to ensure his release from captivity by the extremist militants. Prof Khan, who was abducted by the Pakistani Taliban two years ago, said his health was deteriorating by the day. “Its been more than 2 and a half years I am in captivity but no concrete steps have been taken by the government for my release,” said Professor Ajmal Khan, speaking in Pashto language in the two and a half minute video, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com. The VC was kidnapped from Professors Colony on Peshawar’s University Road in September 2010. The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had demanded the release of four Taliban prisoners in the bargain of his release but government had earlier refused the offer. Prof Khan is also a close relative of ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan and had been a staunch supporter of the war against militancy. The TTP had threatened to kill the professor if the government failed to accept their demands and an earlier deadline had been extended by militants after appeals by his family and religious scholars hailing from Khan’s native Charsadda district. Security officials said Taliban insurgents have been using kidnapping as ransom tool, and to bargain for the release of their militants being held by Pakistan authorities.