Gilani seeks ISI help to find abducted son

Six to eight armed men kidnapped 27-year-old Ali Haider while he was campaigning in Multan district,350 km from Lahore. His personal secretary and a bodyguard were shot dead by the gunmen.

A source in Punjab Police told PTI that a faction of the Punjabi Taliban could be behind the kidnapping. A Punjabi Taliban group based in Mian Chanu,80 km from Multan district,is believed to be involved in the kidnapping of Ali Haider Gilani, the source said.

Gilani is one of the top leaders of Pakistan Peoples Party,which led the last government.

It also emerged Friday that Ali Haider had received threats from the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Sipah-e-Sahaba.

Though no group has claimed responsibility for the abduction,Gilani and other members of his family told The Express Tribune that Ali Haider had been receiving death and kidnapping threats from the LeJ and Sipah-e-Sahaba.

Police arrested five suspects in Multan and officials claimed two of them had important information about the kidnapping.

While there was no official word on interrogation of suspects,the Tribune quoted its sources as saying Ali Haider had been taken by his abductors to Kabeerwaala,considered a stronghold of the LeJ.

The banned TTP refused to comment on the abduction. I do not want to comment on the incident. We do not know as to who has kidnapped him,and why and how he was kidnapped, said Taliban spokesman Ihsanullah Ihsan.