Daily Times

LAHORE: In a petition filed in Lahore High Court (LHC), Hamid Nasir Mehmood has pleaded that his brother Raza Mehmood Khan, member of a peace initiative between India and Pakistan “Aaghaz-e-Dosti”, had ‘disappeared without trace and remains disappeared’ since December 2.

LHC’s Justice Anwaar ul-Haq heard the petition and ordered Naseerabad Police Station SHO to file an answer on December 19.

The petition filed through senior advocate Asma Jahangir maintains that Raza had been running a programme of “Aaghaz-e-Dosti” ‘in order to [lend] a platform to the children from the neighbouring countries to exchange friendship and common values of peace amongst each other”.

It added that Raza has always been a ‘firm believer in the mission of peace’ and had undertaken this task as a volunteer. However, Raza was last heard and seen on December 2 after which his mobile phone was switched off and he could not be traced.

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The petition says that Raza Khan’s friends kept looking for him at hospitals and police stations but they were unable to find him, realising that the peace activist had gone missing.

Filed under Article 199 of the constitution, the petition made the government of Pakistan, government of Punjab, Punjab Police Inspector General and the Station Head Officer of Naseerabad police station respondents in the case.

It prayed that the respondents ‘be issued a notice and directed to search for the abductee and to report to this Honourable Court, the location and the circumstances under which the abductee disappeared’.

An FIR has also been filed in Naseerabad Police Station by Nasir Mahmood Khan, who maintained that his brother’s phone number was constantly powered off and he was also not to be found at his residence. He stated that his brother had been abducted by unidentified men for unidentified reasons and demanded action from the police.

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Also read: #FindRaza protests continue in Pakistan as world celebrates Human Rights Day

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Talking to Daily Times on Sunday, renowned activist Diep Saeeda had stated that it seemed like a case of illegal abduction since all the valuables at Raza’s residence were in place apart from his laptop.

“He is a harmless activist. It could only be a misunderstanding due to some resemblance in the face or the name, because Raza never did anything to offend the state. We request his release as soon as possible”, an extremely upset Saeeda had told Daily Times.