The ouster of Imran Khan in April 2022, through a US-backed regime-change operation, put the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) into power. Since then, Pakistan has descended in every possible way. The last 16 months in Pakistan have seen the abrogation of the Constitution, grave human rights violations, an absence of the rule of law, and a complete economic collapse. While the crimes of the Pakistani regime are numerous, this article will limit itself to a section of one aspect only: that of abduction and enforced disappearances.
Before we begin, it is crucial to understand the difference between arrest and abduction (enforced disappearance). An arrest happens under the law. A person can only be arrested if charged with a crime, and once arrested, he or she must be produced before a magistrate within the next 24 hours.
On the other hand, abductions and enforced disappearances are extreme forms of illegal and arbitrary detention. As the name suggests, these are illegal by their very nature. In the case of enforced disappearance, individuals are arbitrarily picked up by authorities (often unknown) and made “missing,” with their whereabouts unknown. These are against the law and the Constitution of Pakistan, as they essentially deny citizens their fundamental right, the Right to Access to Justice. Moreover, individuals may be subjected to custodial torture (physical, mental, or sexual) while in detention, as nothing about this act is legal!
However, abductions, illegal detentions, and enforced disappearances are now being employed, at scale, in Pakistan. Individuals are being abducted and made “missing” until they denounce their association with Pakistan’s largest political party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
List of abductions and enforced disappearances since the end of PTI’s governments
Abduction Pre-9 May
- Azhar Mashwani – Focal Person to Chairman PTI, Imran Khan
- Muhammad Khan Bhatti – Principal Secretary to former Chief Minister, Pervez Elahi
- Zubair Ali Khan – Chairman CM Complaints Cell
- Faran Khan – friend of Moonis Elahi
- Zaigham – PMLQ
- Wasif Kazmi – Social Media activist
- Arshad Siddiqui – PTI Social Media Team
- Fahad Siddiqui – PTI Social Media Team
- Mudassir Rehman – PTI Social Media Team
- Obaid Ur Rehman – PTI Social Media Team
- Atta Ur Rehman – PTI Social Media Team
- Majid Tajik – PTI Social Media Team
- Salman Latif – PTI Social Media Team
- Iftikhar Ghumman – Head of Security Chairman PTI, Imran Khan
- Jameel Farooqui – Journalist
- Shahid Khan – Security staff of Chairman PTI, Imran Khan
Abduction Post-9 May
- Zahoor Mashwani – Brother of Azhar Mashwani
- Imran Riaz Khan – Journalist
- Usman Dar – Ex-Special Assistant to Prime Minister, Imran Khan
- Mian Waqas – Social Media Activist
- Murad Akbar – Brother of Shehzad Akbar
- Umar Awan – Brother of Ali Awan
- Azam Khan – Principal Secretary of the former Prime Minister, Imran Khan
- Sadaqat Abbasi – President PTI North Punjab & Ex-MNA
- Farrukh Habib – President PTI West Punjab & Ex-Minister
- Sami Ibrahim – Journalist
- Ghazain Abbasi – Ex MPA
- Col. Asim – Chief Security Officer of Chairman PTI, Imran Khan
- Sheikh Rasheed – Former Federal Minister
- Ali Khan – PSO of Chairman PTI, Imran Khan
- Uzair Bhindari – Lawyer of Chairman PTI, Imran Khan
- Amir Dar (brother of Usman Dar)
- Senator Aon Buppi – President PTI South Punjab
It should be noted that this is the list of only those individuals who have been reported as “missing.” There may be many more who have been illegally detained, but their information is not available. Moreover, there are thousands of prisoners of conscience, including Pakistan’s most popular leader, the chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Imran Khan, who have been kept in prison for standing up for Pakistan’s democracy and its rule of law.