By IANS/AKI,
Islamabad : Asian Tigers, a formerly unknown militant outfit from Pakistan, has threatened to kill three hostages they had kidnapped last month in North Waziristan region near the Afghan border.
The militants made the threats in an email message, which also attached video footage of two hostages – human rights activist Khalid Khawaja and British journalist of Pakistani origin, Asad Quereshi. The militants threatened to kill Quereshi within a week.
The 15-second video clip shows a bearded and bespectacled Quereshi appealing for help in securing his release.
“My name is Asad Quereshi, I am an England (sic) citizen. Please help them set me free. I am being detained by the Asian Tigers,” the journalist, who works for Britain’s Channel 4 TV network, said in the video.
Another clip shows Khawaja speaking about the work he was asked to do.
“I worked in the Pakistan Air Force for 20 years and for two years I served in ISI. I was sent here by former chief of army staff retired General Aslam Beg, the former director general of ISI Lt Gen Hamid Gul and Colonel Sajjad of ISI,” he said.
Khawaja, who had earlier worked for Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) during the 1980s, has since become a lobbyist for families of missing people believed to have been detained by security services for their alleged links to militant groups.
Another former ISI official and Pakistani Consul General in Herat, Col Imam alias Sultan Amir Tarar, believed to be behind the formation of the Pakistani Taliban, was also kidnapped.
Quereshi, Imam and Khawaja were abducted on March 25 when they had travelled to North Waziristan to interview Taliban commander Sirajuddin Haqqani.
“Khalid Khawaja and Colonel Imam are in Taliban custody,” the militants said in the email.
“They are enemies of Islam and Muslims. We demand the release of all Taliban leaders and other mujahadeen.” the message said.
“In 10 days, if the government does not release the mujahadeen then we will kill the ISI officer(s),” it said.
The message also warned Quereshi would be killed within a week if the British government failed to pay a $10 million ransom.
“This is a final warning. There are only seven days left. If the UK government does not fulfil our requirements then I will kill this man,” it said.