Daily Times

Six armed policemen and three men in plainclothes picked up Mohsin Abdali from his home in Mughalpura around 4 am in the morning. They did not state any charge or the reason why he was being investigated.

As per the initial report, 10-12 unidentified men had knocked on the door of their house at 4 am. When his father opened the door, all the unidentified men forcefully entered the house on gunpoint.

The report said the men had pushed, shoved and started to hit them and warned that if anyone made noise, they would “kill them”.

The complainant said that his brother, who was sleeping in the room, was shaken awake by the men, who hit him, dragged him out on gunpoint and forced him to sit in a car outside the house.

Lahore-based academic Dr Ammar Ali Jan said they had checked Baghwanpura police station where police said they had no information about Abdali’s whereabouts. Additionally, he said Shalimar station police also had no information, adding that it was not their jurisdiction.

Mohsin Abdali is an MPhil student of Punjab University. He was recently involved in organising Student Solidarity March and Climate March. His last public appearance was at a demonstration organised for the release of progressive activists who were arrested in Islamabad.

Supporters on social media are using the hashtag #ReleaseMohsinAbdali.

The incident comes a day after judicial magistrate Mohammad Shoaib Akhtar on Wednesday sent 23 individuals to Adiala Jail, following their arrest outside Islamabad’s National Press Club on Tuesday.

Those arrested include workers and supporters of Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement and the AWP, who were taken into custody while they were protesting against the arrest of PTM chief Manzoor Pashteen.