Excerpt from the book
One of the men stepped forward with a cloth in his hand and proceeded to blindfold me, while another handcuffed my hands behind my back.
‘Something is happening. Please tell me what you are going to do!’
I was terrified of another beating. I knew these people were absolutely merciless. There was no limit to the physical pain and humiliation they were prepared to inflict on me.
I heard the door open and close. Then footsteps. A thud behind me, then I was pushed back and stumbled onto a chair placed behind me. I kept quiet. I marshalled the meagre remnants of my mental strength to prepare for whatever was coming my way.
I could hear someone fumbling through my bag.
‘Sit up straight,’ said Krishan Lal.
I sat up so my head was facing forwards. Someone adjusted my blindfold so it was just above my sideburns. I felt lukewarm water being applied to my beard, with my faithful Kent shaving brush, bought from Harrods over twenty years ago. An image of a Knightsbridge street flashed across my mind. Then another of the gleaming glass counter of the gentlemen’s grooming department. Right now that was a different planet. I couldn’t be further away from the civilization I was used to.
A bar of soap was plied to my beard, then lathered up with the shaving brush. Then the razor was dragged sharply down my cheek. This felt like a punishment. A violation. It often is, literally, in this part of the world. Half of a man’s moustache or beard is forcibly shaved off to punish and humiliate him.
I tried to stay as still as possible, out of fear of being cut. The person shaving me made quick strokes with the razor, occasionally cleaning it in a plastic mug of water.
A whispered exchange. I was too afraid to concentrate on what was being said.
Then I heard footsteps retreat. I was pulled up by my collar and made to stand. Krishan Lal holding me. More scuffled activity in my room, but I couldn’t work out what was going on. I stood patiently awaiting my next ordeal.
Then my blindfold was loosened and my eyes were uncovered. I saw a sheet hanging on the wall in front of me, with a kitsch scene painted on it. The kind of picture you’d see in a cheap restaurant.
Krishan Lal unlocked the handcuffs and pushed me towards the wall where the cloth was hanging.
‘Sit.’
The earthen wall felt cold against my back. Then the door to my room opened and a hooded man walked in. He was new – I’d definitely not seen him before. He was fairly tall and very well built. Not the kind of man you’d want to tangle with. He both frightened and repelled me. I would later learn he was Sabir Mehsud, the group’s leader.
I sat up as he walked closer. Krishan Lal appeared behind him, then another very big man, dressed in what seemed to be hessian cloth. His face was covered. He stood in the doorway, keeping watch. A very intimidating presence.
‘We are the Taliban. Our elders have found you guilty of spying and colluding with the enemy. We are holding you as our hostage. We want ten million US dollars for your release. If we do not get it, we will kill you. Do you understand?’
My mouth became instantly dry. A film of cold sweat formed over my whole body. I began to tremble.
No one would pay ten million dollars for me. Nobody I knew had anything like that amount of money. My death warrant had just been signed.
I was going to die in this God-forsaken place.
Book Reviews
“Kidnap is a shocking business; a heinous crime.
‘165 days’ offers a real insight into the murky world of hostage-taking. It’s a compelling read from cover to cover. The psychological trauma endured by Asad Qureshi and his loved ones resonates throughout. The experience is raw, terrifying, and the end game is not a given.
When someone is taken hostage, there is an uneasy triangular relationship between time, cost, and risk to the victims. There will usually be two or three key stakeholders: the hostage, their immediate family, and the hostage’s employer. Their interest is the same at the strategic level – safe release – but can diverge in other areas. The question of trust is a constant thread in all the cases I have worked on and is woven through this exceptional book with skill.
Asad Qureshi is to be applauded for this candid and brave disclosure, never easy after such a life-changing ordeal. This very personal and truly human story outlines the horror of kidnapping, particularly the enduring and lingering uncertainties. The unforeseen is always present. A commendable account of life and death.”
BILL LAURENCE
"The content of this vivid and horrific story was made more intense for me in the knowledge that Asad is a good friend. I was ignorant of his dilemma until after his release. His written account is formidable, full of devastating detail, well written, starkly evocative and cinematic in style. The suffering he and his fellow captives endured, unimaginable. My admiration for his bravery and faith during his terrible ordeal is immense. As it is for the relentless efforts of his loyal brother Farrukh."
Maurice Stevens
"Harrowing, gripping, frightening, fair-minded, constantly surprising and ultimately redemptive. 165 Days is a true story. Asad Qureshi, a British film-maker, is abducted by a group calling themselves the Asian Tigers, a disorganised and angry proxy group of the Taliban determined to extract a huge ransom. 165 days later Qureshi is freed, but every day of his captivity tests his faith and sanity to the maximum level of human endurance.
This is a hero’s journey. And there is more than one hero – apart from the film-maker himself there is his spectacular brother, Farrukh, and his incredible family. I can’t begin to imagine the agony they endured. Qureshi takes us into the minds of his abductors and whilst it is a messy, misinformed and muddy interior world it is also at times startlingly poignant: Qureshi overhears one abductor confess he has a crush on a Bollywood actress, another has a game of Ludo with the prisoners and finally the most vicious abductor of all begs his prisoners for forgiveness.
This schizophrenic behaviour caught me completely unawares – having decided I hated these men I realised I also felt sorry for them and the hopeless situation they had placed themselves in. The only future for them is an early death and, in almost all cases, that fate has come to pass.
It is a complex and difficult situation and Qureshi takes us right into the heart of terrorism in the most dangerous place on earth. 165 Days is not a comfortable read but it is a triumph of spirit over prejudice and hatred. The fact the Qureshi offers to shake his abductor’s hand before he is released sums up the character of this extraordinary man. A must-read for anyone seeking a deeper and fairer understanding of a very complex situation."
Wendy Waters
"Asad Qureshi takes us on an incredibly emotional journey into the heart of evil. A mission to make a documentary on the peace process turns into a nightmare for him and his whole family. In 165 Days, he has the courage to lay bare his fears and weaknesses, describing in great detail the physical humiliations and the psychological torture he’s subjected and doing so with tremendous dignity, the very dignity the Taliban monsters tried and failed to strip away. He draws the strength to survive this excruciating ordeal from his deep religious faith and from the love and admiration he feels for his family, whose efforts to free Asad from captivity are spearheaded by the hugely impressive character of his brother, Farrukh, a man who hides the vulnerability of his situation beneath the armour of a great warrior. A gripping page-turner, 165 Days puts the reader right at the heart of action – you live every situation as if you were experiencing it yourself."
Eshaal Mendolia
"They say truth is stranger than fiction. Asad Qureshi's account of his escape from the jaws of death certainly fits the bill. His journey into the heart of darkness, which resulted in the deaths of two of his colleagues, has all the ingredients of a Hollywood blockbuster – betrayal, suspense, gripping action – made all the more impressive by his honest, down-to-earth prose."
Safeer Awan
"The powerful, absorbing memoir of a brave journalist lured into a terrorist trap. Accounts of captivity are not unfamiliar, yet Asad Qureshi has an iron grip on the reader's attention with a style that is so impressively raw it places this biography head and shoulders above similar titles. His first book, this exceptionally realistic narrative is packed with emotion, giving the reader a crystal clear picture of what it’s like to walk in the shoes of a human being with the constant threat of death hanging over him. A five-star read."
Äja Mosleh
" 165 Days-Prisoner of the Taliban by Asad Qureshi is a captivating and emotionally charged read that takes readers on a profound journey through resilience and hope. The story unfolds over a period of 165 days, and talks about the miserable experience of the author during his captivity at the hands of The Asian Tigers a splinter group of the Taliban. Asad had asked me to accompany him on this job. I pulled out at the very last moment as my father was not keen on my going.
The book's narrative is both poignant and powerful, capturing the essence of human struggle and triumph with striking clarity. The way Asad grapples with the challenges and his emotions over the course of his captivity is both inspiring and gut-wrenching.
The real hero of the story is Asad’s brother Farrukh Qureshi whose resilience and steadfastness was key to his kid brother’s release.
God only knows what good deed I did to have been spared the torture of being a hostage. No doubt, had I gone and survived it would have been one hell of an adventure. Knowing Asad from such a long time I never thought he would be a such good story teller. "
Fawad Naeem
"165 Days-Prisoner of the Taliban is a marvellous read, captivating adventure and an emotional thriller. I wept many times because I know the author. His perseverance through the inhumane ordeal is a testament to his commitment as a fearless man. Asad is a much taller personality for me now."
Lt. Col. (R) Farooq Ahmed
I found Asad Qureshi’s book a very engrossing read. His documentary-making skills find expression in his detailed observation of the humiliating and cruel treatment which he and his companions were forced to endure over the many months of captivity. The book cleverly travels between the frantic efforts being made by Asad's brother both in Pakistan and London to secure his release and then the daily and grinding hopelessness of the position of the four captives. I found myself gripped to discover what is the final outcome. At the same time, it is a story of endurance in face of pain, discomfort and barbarism. If anyone wants to learn about the morally bankrupt world of terrorism, they could do a lot worse than read Asad Qureshi’s excellent book.
Neville Spencer Lewis Barrister and author
Asad Qureshi’s debut book, 165 Days Prisoner of the Taliban, is a truly unforgettable read. For most of us, it is hard to imagine a more relentless and harrowing nightmare.
To have survived this experience and have remained humane and dignified in the face of such hell is truly heroic. It is a humbling testament to the human spirit and power of endurance.
There is no trace of bitterness in Asad’s voice throughout his ordeal, and for that one can only stand back in wonder. It was a real privilege to be able to read such an account.
Marion Wilmann
The book takes you on the journey with Asad Qureshi from the day he set off to carry out the interviews, to being captured, held in captivity and the impact of all this on his family, the influence of media (or not).
I picked the book up and literally read it in two days! I could not put it down, it is so well written, really captures the emotions, the struggles. Complexities of relationships and politics.