Police failed to trace the whereabouts of former Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani's son, Syed Ali Haider Gilani, even after the passage of 24 hours after his kidnapping. However, Seetal Mari Police have registered a case under Anti-Terrorism Act against unidentified gunmen on the complaint of Nazar Mohyuddin, DSP New Multan Abdul Qayyum told this correspondent.
City Police Officer Ghulam Mehmood Dogar termed it an act of terrorism. He was talking to media persons at the residence of the former prime minister on Friday. When asked whether Tehrik-e-Taliban Punjab was involved in this case or not, he said that a number of terrorist group might be involved, adding that things would become clearer in a couple of days. He said that two investigation teams were working on the Ali Haider case.
The CPO said: "We have sealed off all entry points and exits in the riverine areas. He said that security of all political leaders in Multan had been beefed up, including Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Liaquat Baloch, Syed Abdul Qadar Gilani, Syed Ali Musa Gilani and Syed Ahmed Mujtaba, adding that the possibility of the recurrence of such an incident would be averted.
Hundreds of people, including political leaders, thronged the residence of former Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani to express their sympathies on the kidnapping of his younger son, Ali Haider Gilani. Governor Punjab Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood, who is also a cousin of Yousaf Raza Gilani, was among the visitors. Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, Senator Malik Rafiq Rajwana and candidates of National Assembly and provincial assembly seats condemned the incident.
Yousaf Raza Gilani asked his well wishers to pray for the safe recovery of his son. PPP activists staged spontaneous protests across the city soon after the incident. Party's activists, including a large number of women, blocked the main road between Qaddafi Chowk and Rajapur. SP (CIA) Chaudhry Maqbool Jatt said that the possiblity of the involvement of Tehrik-e-Taliban Punjab "cannot be ruled out yet".
Yousaf Raza Gilani had informed the district administration and the government about receiving threats of dire consequences from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari cancelled all major political gatherings across the country.