Jibran Nasir, a well-known lawyer and rights activist , has vanished since unidentified armed men cornered his car and kidnapped him on Thursday night outside of his home in Karachi’s DHA.
Mansha Pasha, Nasir’s wife, who was in the car during the incident, said that at least 15 heavily armed men in several vehicles, including a white Vigo, surrounded their vehicle and took away Nasir.
We were on our way back after dinner when a white Vigo stopped and nearly ran us over. In her video statement, Pasha claimed that 15 men armed with pistols had taken her husband away against her will.
کچھ دیر پہلے میرے شوہر جبران ناصر کو پندرہ کے قریب مسلح لوگ اٹھا کر لے گئے ہیں، اہلیہ منشا پاشا
What the hell! Why#releasejibrannasir pic.twitter.com/a2wbXeQ6QW— Raza Ahmad Rumi (@Razarumi) June 1, 2023
She pleaded with everyone to put forth an effort and pray for her husband’s quick recovery.
Nasir, a former independent candidate from Karachi in the 2018 general elections, has criticized the recent state crackdown on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and legal proceedings involving people accused of being involved in riots.
His efforts to address sectarian violence earned him a spot on Foreign Policy Magazine’s 2013 list of three inspirational Pakistanis working to prevent such conflicts.
Media professionals and activists are frequently the first targets of political crackdowns in Pakistan, which has drawn harsh condemnation from international press freedom and human rights organizations for encroaching on free speech rights and failing to protect journalists. Reporters Without Borders’ (RSF) 2023 Press Freedom Index gave the nation a score of 150 out of 180.
The hashtag #ReleaseJibranNasir quickly became popular on Twitter as journalists and members of the civil society expressed their outrage at Nasir’s kidnapping and demanded his prompt release.
Deeply disturbed by news of @MJibranNasir's abduction. He must be released at once. Some of us, including Jibran, have been trying to warn for months that this wave of repression would not stop at PTI. Thank you to the complicit democrats for this new round of state terror.
— Ammar Rashid (@AmmarRashidT) June 1, 2023
If news of @MJibranNasir being abducted is correct, then the act is entirely unacceptable. One may not agree with many of his recent statements, but must remember that when Lal Masjid goons were being appeased by the state, he alone was standing up to them. Release him now!
— Nadeem Farooq Paracha (@NadeemfParacha) June 1, 2023
