Man seeks help of Chinese, Pakistani leaders for release of son

RAWALPINDI: A Pakistani man staying in China since 1987 has appealed to the president, prime minister and foreign minister of China as well as Pakistan to help him in release of his son, who is a Chinese citizen, from a Chinese prison.
Talking to NP here on Wednesday, Sherbaz Khan, father of the detained boy said he is living in Urumqi, the capital city of Xinjiang province of China, since 1987 and married a Muslim woman of Chinese origin on July 21, 1988.
The elderly man, belonging to Pindori village near Chak Beli Khan in Rawalpindi district of Pakistan, said that his only child, Noorul Islam Sherbaz, was returning after taking examination on July 5 this year when he was caught up in a protest rally of Chinese Muslims.
He said the security cameras installed on the roadside captured an image of his son among the protesters and subsequently the Chinese security agencies arrested Noorul Islam on July 27.
"My son had nothing to with the protest and was picked up by the Chinese security agencies only because his image was found in the footage made by roadside security cameras," Sherbaz Khan said while talking to NP.
"I have especially came to Pakistan to seek help from the government in release of my innocent son," he said with tears rolling down his cheeks.
Sherbaz Khan, who was extremely worried about the welfare of his son in the prison and was unsure about the future of his son, said the Pakistan ambassador to China, Masood Khan, had assured him of the release of Noorul Islam but his assurance was yet unfulfilled.
The distressed man has appealed to the Chinese and Pakistani governments, Chinese embassy in Islamabad, Pakistani embassy in Beijing and human rights organisations to help him in release of his son who according to him was imprisoned mere on suspicion of participating in the protest.