A young reporter Matloob Husain Mosavi, who works for Daily Jang, was reportedly picked up by plain-clothed law enforcement agencies (LEAs) in Karachi on Saturday, according to media reports quoting his family.
According to Mosavi’s brother, around two dozen masked persons scaled the walls of their house in Salman Farsi Society and whisked his sibling away at 4 in the morning.
He also alleged that the masked men misbehaved with the family members and locked them in a room before taking away his brother. According to reports, the gunmen had arrived in a Toyota Vigo, a Toyota Prado and three police vehicles.
“My brother has no links with political or religious organisations, he was a liberal with progressive views on social issues,” he added.
The family of the ‘missing’ reporter has filed an application at Alfalah Police Station in this regard. They demand that if there was any allegation or case against Mosavi, he should be presented before the court of law.
The detention comes in the wake of an inquiry against five journalists, one activist and few religio-political parties for protesting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman’s visit to Pakistan.
According to a notification dated March 13 that has been making rounds on social media, “A targeted social media campaign was planned/executed against the [crown prince’s] visit, during which [a] few social media activists and groups remained particularly consistent/active till the very last day of the visit.”
The letter names five journalists — Matiullah Jan, Murtaza Solangi, Azaz Syed, Ammar Masood, Umer Cheema – activist Waqas Goraya who is based in The Netherlands, religious outfits Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM), Imamia Students Organization (ISO), Hizbul Tahrir Pak, Tameer-e-Watan Party.