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An AfPax Insider exclusive: Photos, videos, and a Pakistani Taliban interview transcript are below
Two Chinese engineers kidnapped by Pakistani Taliban made a videotaped plea for their release this week as negotiations aimed at securing their freedom bogged down during their sixth week of captivity.
The kidnappers permitted an AfPax Insider team to meet and interview the hostages October 6 in the remote Pakistani Swat village of Piochar.
The Chinese engineers were kidnapped August 29.
This is only the second time the kidnappers have provided proof the Chinese hostages are alive and in apparently good health.
The AfPax Insider team emerged with six minutes of videotape of the hostages, all of which is posted below.
One of the hostages pleaded in English, "We want quickly go home, go to China." Both hostages spoke briefly in Chinese, as well.
One of the hostages was emotional and distressed, while the other at times smiled and laughed while being questioned by the AfPax Insider correspondent.
The Pakistani Taliban spokesman in Swat, Muslim Khan, told AfPax Insider in a September 26 on-camera interview that a prominent Pakistani journalist was negotiating on behalf of the Chinese and Pakistani governments in an effort to win the release of the captives. For the sake of not interfering with the negotiations, perhaps unduly prolonging the captivity of the hostages, AfPax Insider has chosen for now not to disclose the name of the Pakistani journalist intermediary in the negotiations.
Khan told AfPax Insider the kidnappers would prefer to deal directly with Chinese officials in negotiating the fate of the hostages, but the Chinese and Pakistani governments have insisted on negotiating through the Pakistani journalist intermediary. The Muslim Khan interview and the transcript are posted below.
Pakistani Taliban tell AfPax Insider they have three demands for the release of the Chinese hostages, only one demand of which was disclosed: that Pakistani authorities free 136 militants detained in Swat and other parts of the North-West Frontier Province.
Pakistani Taliban spokesman Khan told AfPax Insider the three demands were conveyed to the prominent Pakistani journalist intermediary September 23.
AfPax Insider sources in Swat say the Pakistani Taliban are also demanding money in exchange for the release of the hostages, although that's unconfirmed from Taliban and Pakistani government sources.
AfPax Insider is the soon-to-launch sister service of IraqSlogger, which will feature AfPax scoops in advance of the service's formal launch.
Posted below are freeze framer images from the two October 6 AfPax Insider videos of the Chinese hostages, the two videos, and a freeze frame and the video and transcript of the September 26 AfPax Insider interview with Pakistani Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan.
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Here's an English-language translation of an excerpt of the Muslim Khan interview: "We released (Pakistani) security personnel, with those we promised (to release). And those (Pakistani captives) who didn't resist were also allowed to go (free). The other five security persons, I think, (among them) one was police, were tried according to Shariah by Shura (Council) which fined them, after the fine was paid, they were also released. It was not a show of solidarity but to get the support of Allah. They (the Pakistani administration) have no sense of solidarity. I think (since) they even don't know what Month of Ramadan is (about), how they (administration) can respect the sacredness of it (Ramadan). About Chinese Engineers, Chinese embassy also approached us but, probably, the government pressured them and didn't allow them to meet us. Instead, it would be (better to talk with) their (Chinese) representative, (which could be Chinese) Ambassador or First Secretary, they (administration) have chosen (name withheld by AfPax Insider), as representative, he came and God willing negotiations are under way lets see what happens next."
