Taliban deny Canadian man Joshua Boyle's allegations

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Boyle's wife had a "natural miscarriage" following an illness and she could not be treated with doctors as they were in a remote area.

"No one has either intentionally murdered the child of this couple and neither has anyone violated or defiled them" Mujahid said in the statement.

He also denied Boyle's allegations that his wife was being raped in the captivity.

Joshua Boyle (34) and Caitlan Coleman (31), who were kidnapped by the Taliban linked Haqqani network in 2012 as the couple crossed into Afganistan, reached Canada on Friday after the release..

Coleman was pregnant at a time the couple was kidnapped in 2012 and they had four children in the captivity.

Interacting with media, after reaching Canada last week, Boyle said: "The stupidity and evil of the Haqqani network's kidnapping of a pilgrim and his heavily pregnant wife engaged in helping ordinary villagers in Taliban-controlled regions of Afghanistan was eclipsed only by the stupidity and evil of authorising the murder of my infant daughter."

The Pakistan government issued a statement on Thursday to confirm the news of the rescue of the Canadian family with the help of an operation carried out by the troops and intelligence agencies of the country.

In a youtube video uploaded in 2016, Boyle, as per the instructions given by the kidnappers, urged the Afganistan government that if it did not stop killing the Talibani prisoners then his family will be killed.

Later, Boyle's parents made a video to address the captivators, saying: "We’ve done the best an ordinary Canadian family can do. I’ve personally written to several of the most senior government officials in Afghanistan, those with great power over the execution of your brothers.”

“We’ve done what you’ve asked of us, we’re now respectfully asking you to show mercy to our family members in return. Please" Boyle's father said while addressing the captivators.

Expressing relief over the release of the couple, Canadian foreign affairs minister, Chrystia Freeland, said: "Canada has been actively engaged with the governments of the United States, Afghanistan and Pakistan and we thank them for their efforts, which have resulted in the release of Joshua, Caitlan and their children."

"Joshua, Caitlan, their children and the Boyle and Coleman families have endured a horrible ordeal over the past five years. We stand ready to support them as they begin their healing journey,” he added.

(Reporting by Suman Das)