Activist Working Against Enforced Disappearances Goes Missing Himself

Activist Working Against Enforced Disappearances Goes Missing Himself
Human rights activist Idris Khattak, who had worked on the missing persons case, has been allegedly kidnapped by unidentified men from near his village of Akora Khattak while he was on his way to Swabi.

The driver of Khattak, who was with him when the incident occurred, told media the he was driving Khattak to Swabi when they were stopped by four unidentified men near Swabi Motorway Interchange, who kidnapped Khattak.

Khattak’s family and driver lodged complaints following the incident, but police have not yet registered a First Information Report (FIR).

Officials have stated that the rights activist was missing but an FIR would be launched after an initial investigation.

The incident was also reported by activists on Twitter, with Jibran Nasir claiming that Khattak was abducted by intelligence agencies, adding that his driver was also abducted but released after three days.

https://twitter.com/MJibranNasir/status/1196073680234831872?s=20

Moreover, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has condemned the arbitrary detention of Idris Khattak and demanded his ‘immediate recovery’.

https://twitter.com/HRCP87/status/1196287758861398016?s=20

Rights groups have been campaigning for an end to enforced disappearances since years. The state has always responded with promises to end the practice, but these promises have not been fulfilled.

Idris Khattak was a consultant for the Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, and had worked on a documentary on missing persons. New York Times journalist Declan Walsh stated in a tweet that the news was worrisome, adding the Idris had joined the ranks of the disappeared.

https://twitter.com/declanwalsh/status/1196561299443986432?s=20

 

Naya Daur Media (NDM) is a bi-lingual progressive digital media platform aiming to inform and educate Pakistanis at home and abroad. Subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow us on Facebook   Twitter and Instagram Visit our Urdu website