By Muslim Mirror Desk
A senior reporter who worked with Pakistan’s Geo TV has gone missing from Karachi. His family has approached the local police and the latter have said they were investigating the matter.
Imran Ali Syed left his home between 7 pm and 8 pm on Friday after telling his family he would be back home in half an hour. He has not returned home since then, the report published on Geo TV said. It also quoted his wife as saying that his car was parked outside the house and he had left his mobile phone at home.
Syed’s family has submitted an application to the Sachal police station in Karachi seeking his return.
Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab tweeted that Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has taken notice of the incident and spoken to the IG. “The matter is being investigated,” he said.
His disappearance has drawn attention from several individuals and groups. Amnesty International said that Ali is “feared to have been subjected to an enforced disappearance for his reporting”.
Pakistan: Ali Imran Syed, a reporter for Geo News, has been missing from Karachi since yesterday and feared to have been subject to an enforced disappearance for his reporting. The authorities must establish his whereabouts immediately. #JournalismIsNotACrime #EndDisappearances
— Amnesty International South Asia (@amnestysasia) October 24, 2020
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has also called on authorities to trace his whereabouts.
Opposition politician Maryam Nawaz slammed the government over his disappearance and alleged that the incident might be linked to the arrest of her husband and retired Captain Safdar’s arrest.
“I have heard that he has been picked up for allegedly sharing CCTV footage [of Safdar’s arrest]. This is unfortunate,” she said while speaking to reporters in Lahore.