The broad daylight abduction of the slain Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer's son, Shahbaz Taseer, has come as a huge shock countrywide not only because of who he is, but the possible reasons for the crime and, of course, the crime itself. His kidnappers plucked him from his car near his office in a highly professional manner.
He had left home unaccompanied by the two Elite Force guards the Punjab government has assigned for his protection. One of the guards is reported to have claimed that Shahbaz Taseer had told him to stay back. Other reports quoting family sources say the guards did not turn up for duty in time.
The missing Elite Force men may hold a clue to the identity of the kidnappers, considering that Governor Taseer was assassinated by one of his guards, who claimed the governor had committed blasphemy when he termed the blasphemy laws as black laws (Taseer had argued the laws, introduced by the Zia regime were man-made, and therefore needed some changes to avoid misuse).
No one has claimed responsibility for the present incident. Shahbaz's brother Shehryar told the media that the family had been receiving threats from the militants for pursuing their father's murder case. Said he, "it seems that they are behind it." Murder is a crime against the state rather than an individual, and hence has to be pursued with or without the family backing. Yet, given that many have openly been expressing sympathy for the assassin Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, making a loud show of support during his court appearances, they might think that the law may be prevented from taking its course if the victim's family, influential as it is, stops pursuing the case.
Also, Taseer's children have been regularly speaking out on the murder of their father, as well as the issues pertaining to violent extremism besetting this society. Hence, the guess of Shahbaz's brother seems to be weighty. Still, reality might turn out to be different.
For obvious reasons, it is no ordinary crime. The President and the Prime Minister have taken serious notice, and telephoned the former governor's widow to assure her that all-out efforts would be made to recover her son. Soon after arrival from Karachi, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif went to the Taseer home, where he told the family he would personally supervise the investigations.
Unfortunately, however, the PPP leadership in Punjab has tried to use the sad incident for point scoring against the PML-N. Governor Sardar Latif Khosa held a special press conference where he accused the Punjab government of being complicit in the murder of Salmaan Taseer as well as the kidnapping of Shahbaz Taseer, adding that "the PPP has tolerated the murder of its governor ... they would not tolerate this abduction".
Encouraged by such inflammatory rhetoric, a group of party workers also staged a demonstration outside the Punjab Assembly. This is not the first time that the party has laid the blame for Taseer's murder at the door of the Punjab government, despite the fact that the murderer openly confessed the motivate of his crime.
As for Khosa's assertion that the abduction was a result of the support that the Punjab government had been extending to the extremists and defunct organisations, there may be some merit in it. However, the PPP has its own share of blame on this particular score, including its attempts to divert public attention from the reasons behind Taseer's murder. This though is not the time for finger pointing. All must join hands to do what is necessary for the safe and early recovery of Shahbaz Taseer.