Ex-ISI official Col Imam is now feared dead
MIRAMSHAH, Jan 23: A former official of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Sultan Amir Tarar alias Col Imam, has been killed by his kidnappers in North Waziristan after remaining in their captivity for about 10 months.
According to sources, the killers were keeping the body at an unknown place and demanding the release of their five associates who are under detention for involvement in terrorist activities.
Col Imam had gone missing on March 25 last year along with another former ISI official, Khalid Khawaja, and a British journalist of Pakistan origin, Asad Qureshi, while they were going from Kohat to North Waziristan.Sultan Amir was believed to have a key role in the growth of the Taliban movement in Afghanistan.
The disappearance of the three men had created ripples in the official circles because the purpose of their visit was not clear.
Later, it was believed that Usman Punjabi, the leader of a little known militant group, the Asian Tigers, had captured them. Usman and four of his associates were killed in a clash with a rival group in Danday Darpakhel near Miramshah on Aug 30.
Khalid Khawaja’s body was found in Karam Kot area of Mirali tehsil on April 30. A note pinned to the body accused him of working for the US Central Intelligence Agency and the ISI.
In a video released by his captors on July 25, Col Imam had said that he was in the custody of the Abdullah Mansoor group of the Lashakr-i-Jhangvi Al Alami expressed fear that he would face a punishment worse than Khalid Khawaja if the government did not accept the kidnappers’ demands.
Asad Qureshi was freed in September after his family allegedly paid ransom.
However, Taliban militants and security officials in Peshawar did not confirm the report of Col Imam’s death. Former MNA from Kohat Javed Ibrahim Paracha also said that his sources in North Waziristan had not confirmed the incident so far.
Source: Dawn
Date:1/24/2011
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