Taseer’s abducted son reunites with family

The abducted son of a slain Pakistani governor was reuni-ted with his family on Wednesday, declaring it was “good to be back” after nearly five years in Taliban captivity.

Sporting a freshly-trimmed beard and long hair in images released by the military, Shahbaz Taseer appeared healthy as relatives greeted him at Lahore Airport just over a week after his father, Salman Taseer’s Islamist killer was hanged. “We’re very, very, very happy and this is the start of a new life for us,” his sister Sanam Taseer said. “It’s a beautiful day.”

“We’re so happy,” added his aunt Ayesha Tammy Haq.

Shahbaz later posted a public message on Facebook via his wife Maheen’s account. “I dont know my Facebook password. But good to be back dude!” he wrote.

The circumstances surrounding Shahbaz’s freedom from captivity rema-in murky. On Tuesday authorities announced they raided a compound in the Kuchlak district of restive southwestern Balochistan province, where they found Shahbaz alone. It was not immediately clear when the raid took place.

Shahbaz had been abducted by Islamist gunmen from Lahore in August 2011, months after his father was killed for opposing the country’s controversial blasphemy laws.

The official account of a raid on a compound has been contradicted by two brothers who own a roadside restaurant in Kuchlak.

Speaking to AFP on Wednesday, the younger brother said that Shahbaz was recovered after he came to his restaurant on foot Tuesday evening. There he ordered food then made a phone call, and personnel from paramilitary group the Frontier Corps came and picked him up.