A Punjab University MPhil student, who was allegedly picked up by "unidentified men in civvies" from his residence in Shalimar locality early in the morning, returned to his home.
According to the family of Mohsin Abdali, an MPhil student of PU's Agriculture Sciences Branch, around 10-12 unidentified armed men forcefully entered their house at around 4am and bundled their son into their vehicle.
However, they confirmed the returning of Abdali to home almost after five hours, but did not mention the identity of captors. Abdali is one of the main organizers of the recently-held Student Solidarity March and the Climate March.
Earlier in the day, the family had lodged a complaint at the Baghbanpura police station for the offence of kidnapping. According to the complaint of Abdali's brother, 10-12 unidentified men had knocked on the door of their house at 4am. "When my father opened the door, all the unidentified men forcefully entered the house on gunpoint," he states.
The report said the men had pushed, shoved and started to hit them and warned that if anyone made noise, they would "kill them". He said Abdali, who was sleeping in the room, was shaken awake by the men, who hit him, dragged him out on gunpoint and forced him to sit in a car outside the house.
Meanwhile, the armed men re-entered our house and took into their custody my brother's laptop, mobile phone as well as my father's phone. My brother was kidnapped on gunpoint and taken away, he added and requested the police to take action against the unidentified individuals and ensure his brother's release.
Subsequently, the Progressive Students' Collective (PSC) condemned the incident saying that "men in plain clothes broke into Abdali's house in the Shalimar area in Lahore at 4am. They harassed and abused his family, took away laptops and phones and did not convey on what charge or accusation he was being investigated or picked up for," reads a statement.
"Abdali is a student activist who had organised the Student Solidarity March and the Climate March. His last public appearance prior to his disappearance was a demonstration organised by the Women Democratic Front which called for the release of Awami Workers Party (AWP) activists," the PSC recalls.
"Progressive student collective members are shocked by the brazen manner in which young peaceful activists are coming under attack. We demand Mohsin's immediate release," the statement reads.
Lahore-based academic Dr Ammar Ali Jan said they had checked Baghbanpura police station where police said they had no information about Abdali's whereabouts. "Shalimar station police also had no information. It was not their jurisdiction," he commented.
The incident came shortly after judicial magistrate Mohammad Shoaib Akhtar sent 23 workers and supporters of Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) and the AWP to Adiala Jail for protesting against the arrest of PTM chief Manzoor Pashteen.
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