Missing: Musharraf aide disappears mysteriously

Musharraf’s former Staff officer and the former additional director land of DHA, disappears in Lahore.

LAHORE: Lieutenant Colonel Manzoor Ahmad, who was former president Pervez Musharraf’s Staff officer and the former additional director land of Defence Housing Authority (DHA), disappeared under mysterious circumstances in Lahore on Friday, The Express Tribune has learnt.

Lt-Col Manzoor, a resident of X block DHA, who retired two years back from 59 Punjab Regiment, was reportedly on his way from the DHA security office to the DHA head office to meet one Colonel Ashraf, when his wife tried to contact him at around 2 pm and found that all three numbers belonging to him were switched off.

She initially informed Col Jameel, an official of the DHA, about his disappearance and later at around 7pm informed the police.

Mrs Manzoor told The Express Tribune that Lt Col Manzoor had been informing not only his family and neighbours but also the DHA security about being followed by a suspicious car.

She said that the last time she spoke to him was at 1 pm when he was on his way to meet Col Ashraf. After attempting, unsuccessfully, to get through to him, she initially thought that he had switched off his numbers during Friday prayers. However, at 4pm she informed the DHA authorities and the police about the matter.

Mrs Mazoor told The Express Tribune that she was not satisfied by the police’s investigation as they still had not been able to figure out the place of his abduction, even though she requested them to watch CCTV camera footage placed all around the DHA for evidence.

She said that Director DHA Security Ahtasham did not provide her husband with a security guard, as was claimed, and was told that he was delusional when he informed them about the suspicious car.

However, Ahtasham said that Lt-Col Manzoor informed him of being chased by suspicious people, but denied giving details. He said that Manzoor would dodge questions like the type of car and the location and added that the colonel also refused security guards.

The security director further said that he told Col Manzoor to inform DHA authorities whenever he was followed and they would then investigate the matter themselves. He added that they had been in contact with the police about the matter.

ASP Maroof Wahla said that they have registered an FIR against the unidentified alleged abductors under section 365 of PPC (kidnapping). He said they have been investigating the matter with the help of the CIA have not found any lead so far.

Wahla claimed that the disappearance had nothing to do with Col Manzoor’s past career. Rejecting Mrs Manzoor’s claim, the ASP said that according to Manzoor’s call record, he was at The Mall at 3 pm and at 3:30 pm he was at Karim Block and he was not abducted from DHA.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 2^nd, 2011.