Islamabad: A little-known pro-Taliban
militant group that is holding two former ISI officers and a
British journalist of Pakistani-origin has threatened to
execute them if its demands are not met within 10 days.
The group calling itself the Asian Tigers recently
released a video of former ISI officials Colonel Imam alias
Sultan Amir Tarar and Khalid Khwaja and journalist Asad
Qureshi.
An email sent by the group to the Pakistani media
demanded the release of top Afghan Taliban leaders Mullah
Abdul Ghani Baradar, Mullah Mansoor Dadullah and Maulavi
Kabir.
The group has also reportedly demanded USD 10 million
as ransom for Qureshi. The Asian Tigers said in the video that
the hostages would be killed if its demands were not met
within 10 days.
The group said the former ISI officials were "in
Taliban custody" and described them as "enemy of Islam and
Muslims".
It also said it would issue a list of "other
mujahideen" it want to be released within a few days.
The three men had gone missing after travelling to
North Waziristan on March 25 to interview Taliban leaders.
They were working on a documentary and were reportedly invited
to the tribal areas by Punjabi Taliban militants.
PTI
