ISLAMABAD: A senior government official has urged Prime Minister Imran Khan to take immediate steps to arrange the save and early recovery of his 80-year-old father Haji Abdul Ghafoor Khan from the illegal custody of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).
In a letter addressed to the prime minister, OGRA Executive Secretary Imdadullah Khyal, the son of the missing haji, requested Imran Khan to rescue Ghafoor Khan who has been missing for the past two years.
“There has been a complete denial by the Saudi state authorities regarding Abdul Ghafoor Khan’s whereabouts despite numerous sighting reports of his being detained by Saudi state forces,” the letter read.
He said that about two years ago, on August 18, 2016, Ghafoor left home for Madinah from Peshawar Airport at 03:15 PM through Flight No PK2301 and reached Madina on the same day but has not returned to date.
Imdad said that reasons for his enforced disappearances are unknown, as there had been no charges against his missing father except altercation with police at Gate 20 of Masjid Nabvi (PBUH).
“Abdul Ghafoor Khan’s family, initially in complete darkness, learned through other former detainees that Abdul Ghafoor Khan is detained somewhere in Madinah,” the letter further stated.
“We sent several appeals/WhatsApp messages, emails, fax to the president, prime minister of Pakistan, Senate chairman, opposition leader in the Senate, National Assembly speaker, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chief minister, chief justices of Supreme Court and high courts, army chief, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) DG, Intelligence Bureau (IB) DG, minister, secretary and Hajj operations secretary, MORA, the foreign minister, Pakistani ambassador in KSA and KSA ambassador in Pakistan, Jeddah DG and director Hajj, KSA king, human rights organisations in Pakistan/abroad, anchorpersons, columnists, head of electronics and print media and others but in vain,” he lamented.
He said, “On January 11, a number of Military Intelligence (MI) officials, under the supervision of a subedar, came to our residence, took complete bio-data and information of our entire family and informed us that a fake case of sectarian charges has been registered against ‘your illiterate father’.”
He said that they further assured them that they would make sure that they get him released from detention before February 20. However, till date, neither MI officials pick his calls nor his father was released/freed from the illegal custody of KSA forces, he added.
He said that according to precepts of leading religions as well as established ethical standards of the world, KSA is guilty of a criminal neglect.
The dejected son said that Ghafoor’s life is under immense threat as his case has become emblematic because of his son’s endless struggle for thousands of missing Pakistanis, including detained Pakistani labourers in KSA.
He said that besides his father, thousands of innocent Pakistanis are behind the bars in KSA for the past many years on fake charges.
