Asad Qureshi

Asad Qureshi is a British filmmaker who was kidnapped on 26 March 2010 by a militant group called the "Asian Tigers" in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas along the Afghanistan border, where he was making a film in North Waziristan and interviewing Taliban leaders. Qureshi was accompanied by his driver, Rustam Khan, and two senior members of the Inter-Services Intelligence, Khalid Khawaja and Colonel Imam during his trip. All four were abducted; Khawaja was killed and his body was found a month later in Mir Ali with an attached note accusing him of spying for the United States and being responsible for killing people during the infamous Siege of Lal Masjid. Asad Qureshi and his driver meanwhile were released in September 2010 following 165 days of captivity through family negotiations. Colonel Imam was executed in January 2011. Asad Qureshi's release was a rare occurrence as the Pakistani Taliban have been known to execute most of their victims.

Asad Qureshi has British Pakistani origins. He has a reputation of an experienced filmmaker and prior to his detaining, he had been based in Pakistan for over five years. His trip to the lawless regions of Waziristan was not his first. In 2009 Asad Qureshi made 'The Battle of Swat Valley' for BBC Panorama which charted the army action taken in Swat against the Taleban. In April 2011 his film 'Defusing Human Bombs' was screened in Pakistan. The film shows the rehabilitation of children kidnapped by the Taleban and trained to be suicide bombers. He had started the film in September 2009 and the project was put on hold when he was kidnapped on 26 March 2010. Asad Qureshi continued the project after his release in September 2010.