Pakistani man lights up Twitter

A Pakistani man who was held by the Taliban for nearly five years before being abruptly freed this month described the moment he was reunited with his wife on Thursday as he took to social media to share his dumbfounding story.

Pakistanis have been riveted as Shahbaz Taseer and his wife Maheen light up the internet with their funny, loving and often heart-stopping account of his captivity and release.

When asked what he said to his wife the first time he saw her, he replied: "I told you I'd come back".

She also described the moment of their reunion: "I was crying with happiness, could hardly speak but hugged him and told him I love him".


Taseer, the son of a liberal Punjab governor assassinated in 2011, months before he was taken hostage, has so far turned down interview requests.

But this week he took to Twitter - his late father Salmaan was also a prolific user and early adopter - to share his story in his own words.

Using the hashtag #AskST, he invited questions from fans eager to find out more about his detention, where according to militant sources, he was shuffled between various extremist groups in Pakistan's tribal areas.

Asked whether he remained loyal to his favourite football team Manchester United, he replied: "U can't be a united fan it's a family".

His wife later chirped in asking "who is number one, me or @ManUtd?", with Taseer responding: "You... but they are a VERY close second :)"

Some responses, while light-hearted, hinted at darker times. "How the heck did you rewire your brain to not be overwhelmed with the negativity?" one user asked.

He responded: "just press delete :)"

Asked whether he was asked to formally join the Taliban he said: "no, they didn't like my sense of style", adding that his only friend "was a spider called peter".