4.0

I have always loved reading memoirs and Shahbaz Taseer’s Lost to the World is both nightmarish and courageous. After being held captive by a ruthless terrorist group called Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Taseer is finally released in an almost a ‘too true to be good’ manner. Taseer is well known as the son of the assassinated Punjab (Pakistan) governor Salman Taseer. And in this book, Shahbaz talks in detail about his father and his role in helping the common crowd of Pakistan. His father’s honesty and courage eventually led to him being shot brutally. Soon after this horrendous act, Taseer is kidnapped in broad daylight and goes missing for almost five years. This story is not just a valiant attempt at describing his life during captivity but also shows how vulnerable a person can be when everything is snatched away from him.

Shahbaz grew up in a luxurious house which lacked nothing. While growing up he watched his father support the less privileged ones during his political career and also witnessed the repercussions of having done so. Before the family could recover from the death, Taseer is taken captive. A major chunk of the book describes his living condition while being a hostage. The tortures are intense but Taseer’s courage in the face of it all is applaudable. He gives a detailed insight on how terrorist organisations work in layman terms. In the midst of all the brutality, he was often taken aback when some of them showed kindness.

It’s baffling how he survived and then lived to tell the story. The odds were stacked against him and yet fate favoured him. Throughout his captivity, he draws strength from his father who often said ‘I’m not made from a wood that burns easily’. The story of course, has a happy ending but it feels dreamlike to see how it all worked out. Taseer writes crisply and I finished this book in just two sittings. Keeping aside all the trauma, this memoir also shows how willpower plays a significant role in difficult times.

I highly recommend this book and thank @penguinindia for sending it across to me.