‘Two months ago, the ISI took my son’

Her cries for justice are still unheard. Zahidan Bibi still awaits her 22 year-old son, allegedly abducted by intelligence agencies from Gujranwala two months ago. Authorities concerned remained heedless to the cries of weeping mother.
Witnesses report Khawar Mahmood, 22, son of Muhammad Arif, a garment sales man was abducted by plainclothesmen two months ago from Gujranwala hotel without prior warning. An eyewitness, requesting anonymity, said, “Ten people in plainclothes arrived at the hotel at around 3 am on December 3 2011 and took Khawar with them without naming the reason. They showed their service cards which revealed they were from the Inter Service Intelligence (ISI).”
“We are residents of Muhammad Pura Sialkot and my son Khawar used to work in a garments store as sales man,” Khawar’s mother Zahidan Bibi said, “Two months ago, on Friday December 3, I called my sons’ mobile upon which he said he was with friends and return in the morning. Since then, he is missing.”
She said that she visited Gujranwala hotel to trace her missing son on 24 December, where the hotel owner told her that early on Saturday 10-12 people came and took Khawar with them forcefully. She said that hotel staff revealed that upon inquiry the people in plainclothes showed their ISI identity cards. She said, “On 17 February 2012, I reported the incident in the Kotwali police station but no one heard my plea.” She said that she had knocked at every door but found no light. She said, “I even traveled to Islamabad to seek help to recover my missing son but my efforts went in vain.”
Khawar’s brother Babar said, “We reported the case in Kotwali police station but no action was taken. No one wants to recover our missing brother. We fear they will kill our brother and we are helpless.”