Manchester United send signed jersey to Pakistani man tortured by Taliban for 5 years
August 26, 2011, was an ordinary day for many of us, but not for Shahbaz Taseer who was kidnapped by the Taliban at Lahore. June 11, 2016, turned out to be another after the Pakistani, released after 5 years of torture, received a pleasant surprise–a jersey signed by the Manchester United team.
Shahbaz's father, the Governor of Punjab, had been shot dead seven months before his capture for standing up against the inhuman blasphemy laws that the country practices following the stoning to death of a Christian woman. The family received a second blow when he was kidnapped in the midst of a drive down Lahore city.
Taseer, in his early thirties, was tortured from the fourth month of captivity by his Uzbek captors. But, he managed to endure the ordeal by following the journey of his favorite team Manchester United by radio that one of his captors, also a United fan, managed to sneak in for him.
"For me, it was a window to the outside world. Getting soccer news kept me sane," Taseer wrote in Pakistan's Daily Times newspaper.
On Saturday he tweeted a picture of himself wearing the famous red shirt, expressing his jubilation.
"OMG @ManUtd just sent me this!!!," he wrote. "I'm in shock! Thank you boys!," he added, expressing his gratitude to the squad members who signed the shirt.
OMG @ManUtd just sent me this!!! pic.twitter.com/ZJPOvNUdJr
— Shahbaz Taseer (@ShahbazTaseer) June 11, 2016
Taseer has also managed to light up his Twitter account with funny replies to curious folks joking even about his captivity.
I'm in shock! Thank you boys! @ManUtd @AnthonyMartial @carras16 @WayneRooney @LukeShaw23 @AnderHerrera @MarcusRashford @ALindegaard #RED
— Shahbaz Taseer (@ShahbazTaseer) June 11, 2016
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