In the late hours of Thursday, an unsettling incident occurred that has left us all in deep consternation. Lawyer, activist, and vocal critic of governmental overreach, Jibran Nasir, was forcibly abducted by unidentified men in Karachi, as per his wife Mansha Pasha’s account to Dawn.com.
According to Pasha, approximately 15 men, armed and dressed in plain clothes, surrounded their vehicle after dinner and forcefully took Nasir. The perpetrators offered no explanation and aggressively ordered them to exit the vehicle. As per her narrative, they were intercepted by a white Toyota Hilux/Vigo near Ideal Bakery on 26th Street, Defence Phase 5, Karachi. Another car blocked their vehicle from behind, leaving them surrounded and vulnerable.
Nasir’s sudden disappearance has triggered a wave of distress and worry, not just among his loved ones, but within the larger community who viewed him as a brave voice against unjust state practices. A candidate in the 2018 general elections and a vocal critic of the recent crackdown on PTI, Nasir’s courage and unwavering stance on governmental abuses have often put him in the spotlight. He was also listed by the Foreign Policy Magazine as one of the three Pakistanis doing inspirational work against sectarian violence.
The unsettling trend of enforced disappearances is one that Pakistan has been battling for years, with the recent abduction of senior journalist Sami Abraham in Islamabad only adding to the tally. After a distressing six-day disappearance, Abraham returned home, while anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan remains missing after being arrested on charges of hate speech and subsequently taken by unknown persons.
The reaction to Nasir’s ‘pickup’ has been swift and unanimous. Members of civil society and rights organizations have expressed deep concern for his safety and are calling for his immediate release.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the chilling reality we face today in Pakistan – where dissenting voices are silenced, and personal safety is constantly under threat. As a society, we must rally together to demand justice for Jibran Nasir, Sami Abraham, Imran Riaz Khan, and countless others who have faced similar fates. The immediate release and safe return of Jibran Nasir is not only an individual’s cause but a national concern demanding our united voice.
Link to the Dawn.tcom news item
Jibran Nasir’s Abduction: A Cry for Justice and Accountability
In the late hours of Thursday, an unsettling incident occurred that has left us all in deep consternation. Lawyer, activist, and vocal critic of governmental overreach, Jibran Nasir, was forcibly abducted by unidentified men in Karachi, as per his wife Mansha Pasha’s account to Dawn.com.
According to Pasha, approximately 15 men, armed and dressed in plain clothes, surrounded their vehicle after dinner and forcefully took Nasir. The perpetrators offered no explanation and aggressively ordered them to exit the vehicle. As per her narrative, they were intercepted by a white Toyota Hilux/Vigo near Ideal Bakery on 26th Street, Defence Phase 5, Karachi. Another car blocked their vehicle from behind, leaving them surrounded and vulnerable.
Nasir’s sudden disappearance has triggered a wave of distress and worry, not just among his loved ones, but within the larger community who viewed him as a brave voice against unjust state practices. A candidate in the 2018 general elections and a vocal critic of the recent crackdown on PTI, Nasir’s courage and unwavering stance on governmental abuses have often put him in the spotlight. He was also listed by the Foreign Policy Magazine as one of the three Pakistanis doing inspirational work against sectarian violence.
The unsettling trend of enforced disappearances is one that Pakistan has been battling for years, with the recent abduction of senior journalist Sami Abraham in Islamabad only adding to the tally. After a distressing six-day disappearance, Abraham returned home, while anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan remains missing after being arrested on charges of hate speech and subsequently taken by unknown persons.
The reaction to Nasir’s ‘pickup’ has been swift and unanimous. Members of civil society and rights organizations have expressed deep concern for his safety and are calling for his immediate release.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the chilling reality we face today in Pakistan – where dissenting voices are silenced, and personal safety is constantly under threat. As a society, we must rally together to demand justice for Jibran Nasir, Sami Abraham, Imran Riaz Khan, and countless others who have faced similar fates. The immediate release and safe return of Jibran Nasir is not only an individual’s cause but a national concern demanding our united voice.
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