Prominent human rights activist and lawyer Jibran Nasir was kidnapped on Tuesday night in the southern city of Karachi, his wife said.
Mansha Pasha said that her husband was picked up by unidentified men in a white car while he was on his way to the Sindh High Court. She said that she tried to contact her husband but his phone was switched off. She later filed a missing person report with the police.
The police said that they had registered a case of kidnapping and were investigating the matter.
Nasir is a prominent human rights activist who has been critical of the government and the security agencies. He has also been vocal against the extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in the country.
His kidnapping has sparked outrage among human rights activists and lawyers. They have demanded his immediate release and called for an investigation into the matter.
The Sindh Bar Council has also condemned Nasir’s kidnapping and called for a strike on Wednesday.
The government has denied any involvement in Nasir’s kidnapping. Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has said that the police are investigating the matter and that Nasir will be released soon.
However, Nasir’s family and lawyers have expressed doubt over the government’s claims. They have said that Nasir is being held by the security agencies and that he is being tortured.
The case of Jibran Nasir’s kidnapping has once again put the spotlight on the human rights situation in Pakistan. It is a reminder of the impunity enjoyed by the security agencies and the dangers faced by human rights activists in the country.