ISLAMABAD -UNS: Senior Journalist Waheed Murad was disappeared from his residence by unknown individuals in Islamabad on Wednesday, his family alleged claimed.His family filed a petition before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for his recovery.
The petition was filed by Murad’s mother-in-law Abida Nawaz through lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha.
Abida claimed the journalist was “forcibly disappeared from his home in Sector G-8, Islamabad at around 2:05am by unknown officials presumably belonging to intelligence agencies, and accompanied by persons in black uniforms and two police double cabin vehicles”.
She described herself as an “eyewitness to the enforced disappearance of Murad, and was also herself manhandled by the abductors who also took away her phone”.
The state, the defence ministry, the Islamabad police chief and the Karachi Company police’s station house officer were listed as respondents in the case.
The petition urged the IHC to direct the respondents to “immediately trace and produce” Murad before the court.
It pleaded that the court also order the respondents to “identify and investigate those responsible, directly or indirectly, for abducting and illegally detaining” the journalist, as well as to disclose information on any cases filed against him.
The petition also requested that the authorities provide the counsel and family access to Murad. It further urged the IHC to direct the respondents to disclose any charges against the journalist and where he was being kept.
The petition highlighted that Murad had raised his voice about the recent alleged enforced disappearance of US-based journalist Ahmad Noorani’s two brothers.
“The pattern of his abduction was the same as in the past,” Mazari told AFP. “The abductors, their modus operandi, and the way they stormed the house in the dead of night make it clear who they are.”
According to Urdu News, Murad has previously also worked at News One and daily Ausaf, as well as runs a news website Pakistan24.
