Former Punjab CM’s aide ‘abducted’

Elahi says missing persons' tally increased during PM Shehbaz's tenure

RAWALPINDI:

Former chairman of Chief Minister Complaint Cell, Zubair Ahmed Khan, who also served as an adviser to former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, was abducted from outside his house in Gulnar Colony area of Race Course Police Station, Rawalpindi on Thursday.

Police registered a case and launched an investigation into the incident.

Khan's son Shuja Zubair told The Express Tribune that his father was coming home in his car and as he reached outside the house, unidentified plainclothesmen, who were already present in the street, intercepted the vehicle at gunpoint took him away in another vehicle.

He said upon hearing the commotion raised by the driver, the family members ran after the suspects but by then they had escaped away.

The Race Course Police registered a case of kidnapping against unidentified suspects on the complaint of Khan's driver, Muhammad Mubeen.

In his complaint, Mubeen said he has been working as a driver with Zubair Ahmad Khan for 15 years. “While returning home from the office last night, there were 10 to 11 people in the street in two vehicles and three motorcycles, who abducted Khan at gunpoint while issuing death threats to him,” he said, adding that Khan’s life was in danger.

Meanwhile, Shuja Zubair told The Express Tribune that the family had no clue about the whereabouts of his father.

On the other hand, the former CM strongly condemned the kidnapping and alleged that the number of missing persons increased during the tenure of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

“Khan worked side by side with the Pakistan Army and Turkish society to help flood victims,” he said.

Court seeks govt’s reply

Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi Bench has sought replies from the Government of Pakistan, Government of Punjab, Interior Secretary, Defence Secretary, Punjab IGP, DG FIA, DG Anti-Corruption and other respondents for Friday [today].

The notices were issued by Justice Chaudhry Abdul Aziz on a writ petition against Zubair Ahmed Khan’s abduction and illegal detention.

Advocate Sardar Abdul Raziq, the counsel for the abductee’s son Saad Ahmed Khan, adopted the stance that Khan was forcefully picked up from outside his house at 10 O'clock and shifted to an undisclosed location.

He argued that protecting the life and property of the citizens is the primary responsibility of the government, but the government agencies themselves are forcibly abducting the citizens.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10^th, 2023.