ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: Barrister Awais Ali Shah, the kidnapped son of the Sindh High Court chief justice, was on Tuesday safely recovered in an intelligence-based operation on the outskirts of Dera Ismail Khan — in which three of his captors associated with a splinter group of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were killed — and was reunited with his family hours later in Karachi.

Talking to journalists outside his Gizri residence shortly after being reunited with his son, SHC Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah lauded the efforts of the army chief and his team for the safe recovery. “General Raheel Sharif called me at three o’clock at night and informed me about the recovery of my son,” said the chief justice.

“He was kind enough to also let me talk to my son at my request, and he was kind enough to arrange a special plane to get him here from Tank.”

The militants belonged to a TTP splinter group, though the kidnapping also had the signature of Al Qaeda in Subcontinent (AQIS), a terrorist group active in Karachi, said Gen Asim Bajwa at a media briefing at the ISPR office.

Sharing details of the operation led by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) on D.I. Khan-Tank Road, Gen Bajwa said the military had set up checkpoints and stationed troops on all the three roads leading from Mufti Mehmood Chowk in Dera Ismail Khan district in view of the ‘technical intelligence’ gathered over the past three days that the terrorists might move Awais towards adjoining South Waziristan via Tank. It was little after 2am when an approaching blue SUV was signalled to stop but the driver overran the road divider in an attempt to flee, he said. The troops in response shot the driver dead after which two other terrorists in the vehicle attempted to escape while opening fire but were also killed in an exchange of fire with the troops, he added.

Barrister Awais Ali Shah flown back to Karachi and reunited with family a month after being kidnapped in Clifton

On searching the vehicle, the troops found Awais covered in a ‘burqa’ with his hands tied and feet chained. Three AK-47 Kalashnikov guns, 500 bullets, and six grenades were seized from the terrorists and the vehicle, he said.

The son of the chief justice was taken to a military camp after which Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif phoned his father to inform him about his recovery.

However, the Dera Ismail Khan police were unaware about the shootout with the militants and the recovery of Barrister Awais till 6am, according to Dawn’s D.I. Khan correspondent. The bodies were not handed over to the police and no FIR was registered at the Dera Town police station within whose jurisdiction the incident was said to have taken place. The police told Dawn that they had no information and details to offer.

While responding to a query, Gen Bajwa indirectly blamed the civilian law-enforcement agencies for the terrorists being able to move Awais some 1,100 kilometres from Karachi without being detected. There were “no military checkpoints” on the way, he told the questioner.

The spokesman said that for Awais’ release, the terrorists had made demands which could not be made public at present as that could compromise search for other suspects.

Soon after his recovery, he said, Awais was flown to Karachi where he was reunited with his family. The ISPR also shared pictures of his emotional reunion with his parents.

Barrister Awais Ali Shah was kidnapped from outside a superstore in Clifton on June 20.

On being reunited with his son a month after his kidnapping, Sindh High Court Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah praised the army chief and his team for the successful recovery of his son. Gen Raheel was personally monitoring the team constituted by ISI chief Gen Rizwan Akhtar for the recovery of Barrister Awais, he said.

While responding to a question, CJ Shah said: “All credit goes to the army. Gen Raheel called me after the incident [kidnapping] and said that he was personally monitoring the case and assured me that my son will be recovered”. He said the ISI chief was also remained in contact with him.

In reply to another question about the government’s role in the recovery of the captive, he said the army was part of the government.

Asked which group was behind the kidnapping, the chief justice said he had absolutely no idea. Meanwhile, Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali congratulated the victim’s family and extended his thanks and gratitude to well-wishers who prayed for safe recovery of Barrister Awais. He appreciated the efforts of the federal as well as the provincial governments and the role of law-enforcement agencies which made the safe recovery of Barrister Awais possible. Expressing satisfaction over the recovery, he said it raised the morale of the people and their faith in the law-enforcement and intelligence agencies of the country.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2016