Activist Jibran Nasir ‘abducted’ in Karachi, says wife

Jibran Nasir, a well-known rights activist and lawyer, has gone missing after unidentified armed men cornered his vehicle and abducted him from near his residence in Karachi’s DHA on Thursday night.

According to Nasir's wife Mansha Pasha, who was present in the car during the ordeal, at least 15 heavily armed men in multiple vehicles including a white Vigo encircled their vehicle and forcibly took him away.

Read more: Anchorperson Sami Ibrahim 'missing' from Islamabad

“We were returning after having dinner when a white Vigo intercepted and almost crushed us. There were 15 men with pistols and they took away my husband forcibly,” Pasha said in her video statement.

She urged everyone to make efforts and pray for the early recovery of her husband.

Nasir, a former independent candidate in the 2018 general elections from Karachi, has criticised the recent state crackdown on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and legal proceedings concerning individuals allegedly involved in riots.

His efforts to address sectarian violence earned him a place on Foreign Policy Magazine's 2013 list of three inspirational Pakistanis working against such conflicts.

Journalists Imran Riaz Khan, Aftab Iqbal and Sami Ibrahim, all considered supporters of PTI, were also taken into custody earlier this month.

Ibrahim and Iqbal have been released, however, the whereabouts of Imran Riaz Khan remain undisclosed to date.

Media personnel and activists are often among the first to come under the line of fire amid political crackdowns in Pakistan, with the country facing severe criticism from global press freedom and human rights groups for violating the rights of free speech and failing to ensure journalist safety. The country ranked 150/180 on Reporters Without Borders (RSF) 2023 Press Freedom Index.

#ReleaseJibranNasir soon started trending on Twitter with members of the civil society and journalists voicing their concerns over Nasir’s abduction and calling for his immediate recovery.