How is it possible for a person to bear torture for four years, and to bear it with a smile on one’s face? The world continues to hear incidents of bravery. The journey of Shahbaz Taseer, however, is no ordinary journey. The man smiled in the face of torture and, as he himself puts it, “I saw doors of fate closed every day on me.”
In his first interview to a Pakistani television channel since arriving in his hometown of Lahore, Shahbaz told Business Plus Special host Ayesha Tammy Haq how he was able to survive those four years and six months of torment, his struggle against hopelessness and him remembering his late father’s words of wisdom.
Shahbaz Taseer, the elder son of former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer, was kidnapped on August 26, 2011, from Lahore. The abduction came only a few months after his father, Salmaan Taseer, was assassinated for speaking out against a blasphemy law. Shahbaz was captured by the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.
‘Father’s words of wisdom guided me’
Shahbaz told Business Plus’s Ayesha Tammy Haq that he was able to survive the torment by remembering his late father Salmaan Taseer’s words. “I relied on the conversations that I had with my father when I was young. He was a man of patience, a lesson that he taught me while I was growing up.” Shahbaz said that he relied on his survival instincts. “They are very difficult to learn. But man has the power to survive through his instincts.”
‘I had surrendered my fate to God’
The elder Taseer spoke about the extreme harshness of the situation. “I was all alone. I was aware that no human help was there for me. I had Quran and dua.” Sometimes, added Shahbaz, I was unable to recognise myself in the mirror. “I saw doors of fate closed every day on me.” He also talked about a particular verse of the Quran that gave him the strength and patience to face the situation. “I was ready for the torture. I had surrendered my fate to God. I was at peace when of all this (torture) was happening.”
Lived with his kidnapper’s family
Shahbaz said he saw humanity in people there, but he “refused to accept it”. “I just couldn’t befriend him because he was my kidnapper.” Shahbaz also revealed he was made to stay with his abductor’s family. “They (the kidnapper’s family) were kind to me. They accepted my as their own family member. I use to call the mother-in-law of my kidnapper Aya Jaan. She was a graceful lady who always stood by me in my toughest times.” The elder Taseer said his abductors rotated his location every one to three months.
Militants’ war with the Pakistani government
At first, Shahbaz said, he thought the then government would do something. “I was the son of Salmaan Taseer. I was waiting for the government to take action. But the people, who said they were my father’s friend, couldn’t do anything.” He said this might have been the same case with the abduction of Ali Haider Gilani. “They (militants) are waging a war against the Government of Pakistan. They might have thought that kidnapping the children of their ‘enemy’ would lead them to victory.”
Remembering loved ones
Shahbaz said he was unable to recognise the voices of his wife and mother, six months after his abduction. “I was all alone. I tried to remember my loved ones in my dreams. I used to act as if I was a standup comedian between my family and friends. It was just a way to remember them. I looked for happiness and optimism in things.”
Drone strike and apparent death
The elder Taseer said he wasn’t killed in the drone strike, rather he was badly injured. “The drone hit the wall between my compound and another room. News then spread that I was dead. But, I remember, it was my kidnapper who first saw me gasping for air due to the dirt stuck in my throat. Shahbaz said he was shifted with another body to another location. The other person, however, had been killed in the drone strike.
Baghdadi’s questioning of Mullah Omar’s legitimacy
Shahbaz revealed that Abu Bakar Al Baghdadi’s declaration of a caliphate resulted in disputes between the Afghan Taliban and the Uzbeks. “Baghdadi announced his caliphate after Islamic State’s rise to power in Iraq and Syria. He then questioned Mullah Omar’s legitimacy. This forced the Afghan Taliban to disclose the death of Omar and appoint a new leader in his place.” The bloody dispute, according to Shahbaz, between the Taliban and the Uzbeks took place in November of 2015. “The Uzbeks refused to accept the new Taliban chief. Then the clashes took place. At least 150 people were butchered and 170 were abducted.”
From Uzbeks to the Afghan Taliban
Shahbaz said he found his new abductors in the form of the Afghan Taliban. “I was jailed along with my former abductors (the Uzbeks). The same people, who had abducted me, were now finding it difficult to live in jail. There were five people and one bread (roti).” The elder Taseer said he remained steadfast. “Our kalma is very easy to recite, but it is very difficult to remain firm to one’s principles.”
The final escape
Shahbaz said he saw a man by the name of Malang in the jail. The elder Taseer described the man as a 25-year-old. “He had a guard. I was convinced that he was something and that he would lead me to my escape. I told him that I was an educated man from Britain who had come to fight in God’s way.” Shahbaz said that at first, the man refused to believe him. “But I was able to convince him in the middle of January 2016. Then on February 29, he came to me and put Rs 15,000 in my pockets. I was baffled. I didn’t know what was going on. He told me that I would leave in a few moments.” Shahbaz said that he left for Zabul to Kuchlak. “I called my mother from the phone of a Taliban and said that I’ve returned.”
Shahbaz ended the interview with a smile on his face, the very same smile that made him endure the hardships. Ayesha Tammy Haq wished Shahbaz all the success in his life. She also revealed that the elder Taseer plans to pen down a book on his journey. “Shahbaz cannot tell you all in this two-hour interview. He plans to write a book that will detail his extraordinary journey.”
