Kidnapped son of Pakistan judge rescued

KARACHI, Pakistan, July 19 (UPI) -- The son of the top judge in Karachi, Pakistan, was reunited with his family on Tuesday, 29 days after he was kidnapped by the Taliban.

Awais Ali Shah appeared to be in good health as he appeared briefly in front of the media but did not speak.

His father, Sindh High Court Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, said that he had received a phone call from Chief of Army Staff Gen. Raheel Shareef that his son had been rescued from Tank, which is close to the tribal region bordering Afghanistan. He then spoke with his son.

Asim Bajwa, the director-general of the Inter-Services Public Relations, said later in a news conference that Shah was found hidden inside a burka -- a loose garment worn by women -- with his feet and hands chained and his mouth fastened by tape.

During a checkpoint, security forces tried to stop a car carrying Shah, Bajwa said. The driver attempted to run over the divider and move to the opposite lane. Security forces killed the driver and two other terrorists in the car.

Bajwa said a woman appeared to be clad in a burka and she did not respond who she was. Her burka was removed and it was Shah.

Shah, a lawyer in his mid 20s, was abducted on June 21 from a supermarket in Karachi.

"The prime minister lauded the role of intelligence agencies and security forces in recovering Awais Shah and said that the professional and operational excellence of our security forces has made it possible for which they deserve immense appreciation," a statement issued by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said.

Shah's return comes after sons of two high-profile politicians returned home after spending years in captivity -- the son of the former slain Punjab Gov. Salman Tasee in March and the son of former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in May.