Assassinated Punjab Governor Salman Taseer's son, Shahbaz Taseer, was reportedly kidnapped at gun-point in Lahore on Friday morning while he was on his way to work. Police are working on the dual assumptions of possible business rivalry or ransom as the motive for the kidnapping.
According to the police, Mr. Taseer's car was intercepted by another vehicle after which four men dragged him out of his Mercedes and bundled him into their Land Cruiser. As they drove off, the kidnappers threw out his mobile phone, I-pad and laptop.
The kidnapping came to light almost immediately as by-standers saw the gadgets being thrown out. Based on this and his vehicle — with a VIP number plate — standing unattended in the middle of the road, the police began working on the assumption that Mr. Taseer had been kidnapped.
As soon as news broke of the incident, the federal government and the Punjab administration got into action with Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani and Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif asking all security organizations to pool in efforts to trace Mr. Taseer without any delay.
The Taseer family has been facing threats after the assassination of the Governor on January 4 for speaking up for Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman facing death sentence in a blasphemy case.
This is the second high-profile kidnapping in Lahore this month. On August 13, an American development consultant, Warren Weinstein, had been kidnapped from his well-guarded residence at crack of dawn.
