Abducted Pakistani engineer thanks CM Punjab after release

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani engineer, who was recently released by a group in South Sudan, has thanked Chief Minister Punjab Shehbaz Sharif for his efforts in his freedom.

In an exclusive video message to Geo News, Ayaz Jamali said, “Today I’m here because of his [Shehbaz Sharif's] efforts, and the interest he took in the matter.”

He said that he wishes to personally meet CM Punjab to thank him.

26-year-old Ayaz Jamali is a resident of Badin in Sindh. After his release, Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria tweeted: “Our Missions in Addis Ababa and Khartoum have been making efforts to secure Mr Ayaz's release with coop of Govts of S. Sudan, China & Sudan”

He also tweeted: “We are grateful to the Govts of South Sudan China & Sudan for their cooperation and support in the successful release of Mr Ayaz Jamali.”

South Sudanese rebels said on Thursday they had freed three oil workers from Pakistan and India that their fighters had seized earlier this month.