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Kidnapped Former Pakistani Intelligence Official Appears in Video


A kidnapped former Pakistani intelligence official is calling on the Pakistani government to take steps to secure his release from militants.

In a video released to news outlets, Sultan Amir Tarar, also known as Colonel Imam, threatens to disclose the government's "weaknesses" if it does not negotiate his release with the militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi al-Alami.

Colonel Imam, another former intelligence official, Khalid Khwaja, and a journalist disappeared in the country's northwest in March. Khwaja's body was found at the end of April in the North Waziristan tribal region. There has been no word on the fate of the journalist.

It is unclear why the two former officials with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency made the trip to the tribal region, but they were said to be helping the journalist with a documentary on militancy.

A little-known militant group, the Asian Tigers, had claimed responsibility for the kidnapping and demanded the release of some 160 militants.

Both Khwaja and Colonel Imam were known to be sympathetic to the cause of Islamic militants.

Some information for this report was provided by AP.

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