QUETTA: The kidnapped son of Balochistan’s local government minister, Sardar Mustafa Khan Tareen, was recovered near the Pak-Afghan border on Thursday.

Asad Tareen, the son of the minister, was recovered from the Gulistan area of district Killa Abdullah, said family members.

It is not yet clear whether Asad was recovered as a result of a security forces operation or after the payment of ransom.

The minister’s son was brought back to Pishin under tight security after his recovery, sources said.

Asad was kidnapped by armed man from Pishin earlier in May.

A search operation was launched soon after by security forces in the area, with several suspects detained in connection with the kidnapping.

Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri had taken notice of the incident and had ordered the provincial police to increase their efforts for the recovery of the minister’s son.

Sardar Mustafa Khan Tareen was elected as an MPA from Pishin district in 2013, and is affiliated with Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP).

High-profile recoveries

Earlier in March, Shahbaz Taseer, son of slain Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer, was recovered after being held by kidnappers for over four years. He was found in the Kuchlak area, at a place about 25km from Quetta

In May, son of ex-prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Ali Haider Gilani, was recovered from Afghanistan's Ghazni province in a joint operation carried out by Afghan and US forces against an 'Al Qaeda affiliated group' after three years in captivity.

Awais Shah, son of Chief Justice Sindh High Court, was also recovered earlier in July after an intelligence based operation at Tank district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.