British journalist freed after five months as hostage in Tribal Areas

Reporters Without Borders is very relieved to learn that British journalist Asad Qureshi was released today after being held hostage by a militant group in northwestern Pakistan for the past five and a half months. Qureshi, who had been working on a documentary on the Taliban insurrection for Britain’s Channel 4 television, was kidnapped along with two former Pakistani military intelligence officers on 25 March 2010 in the North Waziristan tribal area. Reporters Without Borders did not say anything about his abduction at Channel 4’s request. One of Qureshi’s companions was executed by their abductors, a previously unknown armed group calling itself the Asian Tigers that consists of Pakistanis from Punjab province. One of the kidnappers, Usman Punjabi, was himself killed in a clash with other insurgents in late August. The group had threatened to kill Qureshi if they did not obtain the release of Taliban leaders Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Mullah Mansoor Dadullah and Maulavi Kabir. They also demanded 10 million dollars in ransom. Several Pakistani journalists, including a Reporters Without Borders representative, interceded with the kidnappers on Qureshi’s behalf. Taliban kidnapped Sean Langan, a Channel 4 reporter, and his Afghan fixer in 2008.