No relative of Pak Army Chief taken hostage in Afghanistan: ISPR

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) has dismissed media reports claiming that Army Chief General Raheel Sharif's son-in-law is among the seven crew members taken hostage by Taliban militants after a Punjab Government's Mi-17 crash-landed in Afghanistan.

Terming such news as 'baseless' and 'rumours', the ISPR chief Lt. Gen. Asim Bajwa issued a clarification tweeting, "None of hostage related to #COAS. Rumours absolutely baseless. Hostages Lives very precious, all efforts being made 4 their safe, early return-2."

He said rumours are being spread about the identity of various crew members of the Punjab Government helicopter that crash-landed in Logar province on Friday.

"The lives of all hostages are very precious and all-out efforts are being made for their safe and early return," said Lt. Gen. Bajwa.

A Punjab Government's Mi-17 helicopter crash landed in Afghanistan's Logar province earlier on Thursday where Taliban insurgents took the crew hostage before setting the helicopter on fire.

The helicopter had seven people on board at the time of the incident and was on its way for periodic overhauling to Uzbekistan.

Following the crash, the Army Chief immediately called Commander Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan General Nicolson and had asked him to help in the recovery of the hostages.