Syed Muhammad Asghari, a senior reporter for Jang newspaper, has gone missing after allegations were made by his colleagues and media organizations that he was allegedly abducted by individuals dressed as plainclothes police officers.
Ali Kamran, a journalist affiliated with the Jang group, informed media that Syed Muhammad Asghari had attended a wedding ceremony in Mahmoodabad on Sunday night.
He stated that after the wedding, Asghari was returning home with another person, and when they reached the road leading towards Baloch Colony on the Expressway, they were stopped by a police mobile van accompanied by individuals in plainclothes.
According to Kamran, Syed Muhammad Asghari introduced himself, but the police officers treated him rudely, forcibly took him out of the vehicle, and forcefully took him with them.
He mentioned that the other person accompanying Asghari was released, but his cell phone was confiscated. The incident occurred around 12:15 am and lasted for about 15 minutes.
Ali Kamran further stated that the person with Syed Muhammad Asghari informed him about the entire incident and then contacted senior police officials.
Subsequently, the police visited the scene. Ali Kamran said that he was present at Asghari’s house in North Nazimabad with his family members, who were unaware of why the police took him away.
SHO Khayaban-e-Ittehad, Hameyoun Ahmed Khan, informed Dawn that he received a call from a representative of Jang newspaper at around 1:30 am, and he immediately visited the site. However, the incident did not occur in Korangi Industrial Area, but rather within the jurisdiction of Baloch Colony Police Station.
A senior police official stated that they would not provide an official response to the matter at this time but are attempting to locate the journalist. However, efforts are being made to trace the journalist.
Meanwhile, the Karachi Union of Journalists strongly condemned the alleged abduction of senior reporter Syed Muhammad Asghari by security personnel.
The President of KUJ, Ajaz Ahmed, Vice President Naseer Sharif, General Secretary Aziz Jamali, and all members of the executive council demanded that the Sindh government promptly recover Syed Muhammad Asghari and initiate an investigation into the incident. They also called for action against the involved security personnel, as it is reported that Syed Muhammad Asghari was abducted by individuals associated with the government.
Similarly, senior journalist Mazhar Abbas expressed his concerns about another journalist’s abduction on Twitter. In his tweet, he stated that it is not surprising that Pakistan is among the top five most dangerous countries for reporting worldwide.
Azeem Abbas, Managing Director of Geo News, also strongly condemned the alleged abduction of senior reporter Syed Muhammad Asghari by police and security agencies.
