Little headway in recovery of missing activist
LAHORE: Another social activist has gone missing in the city and although the police have registered an FIR, they are yet to make substantial progress for his recovery.
The victim, identified as Raza Mehmood, worked for Aghaz-e-Dosti and Low Key Lokai, both organisations working for peace in their surroundings.
On December 4, his brother Hamid Nasir Mehmood filed an application with Naseerabad police station. He said his brother lived in Model Town and his cell phone had not been responding since Saturday. The brother lived in Kasur and came to Raza’s residence when he was not able to get in touch. However, there was no trace of the latter’s whereabouts.
He feared that the missing person may have been kidnapped and he requested the police to take action for the recovery of his brother.
Police registered FIR No1123 against the case and claimed to be investigating the matter further.
Investigation Officer Sub Inspector Muhammad Saleem, when contacted, refused to comment about the progress of the investigation as he was busy in a meeting.
A social activist on a social media said hospital emergency wards, morgues and Rescue 1122 had been checked but there was no news of Raza.
This is not the first time a social activist has gone missing under suspicious circumstances. Last year, four bloggers went missing for a month. Some months ago, a woman journalist, who had taken up the case of enforced disappearances, returned home after going missing for over a year.
According to the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, there were 1,498 cases of missing persons pending with it.
There are 273 cases of missing persons from Punjab, 126 cases each from Sindh and Balochistan, 63 cases from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and 52 from Islamabad. The report said that over 3,000 cases were disposed of up till November 30, 2017, while 2,257 people had been traced since 2011.
The missing of Raza has again sparked criticism over security and the vulnerability of activists.
Raheemul Haque, a social activist, shared, “Our friend Raza Khan, a peace activist, had been missing since yesterday. We last met him on Saturday evening for an open discussion on extremism, specifically focusing on the [recent] dharna.”
He added that “Raza is truly a special person and the Pakistan convener of Aghaz-e-Dosti, a Pakistan-India citizen peace initiative which brings children together through letter exchange and peace art. He is at the forefront of Low Key Lokai, an initiative to create progressive space.”
The activist went on to say that Rescue 1122, hospitals and his home have been checked. “His brother filed an application with the police; we hope and pray that he is safe and whoever has abducted him understands that he represents love, peace and justice. Is that too much to ask?”
Diep Syeda, associated with the Institute for Peace and Secular Studies, shared the status “Finding Raza”.
An online petition called Find Raza Khan: A Social Activist Gone Missing from Lahore has also been initiated.
Buildozer, a social media page commented, “Peace activist Raza Khan, convener of Aghaz-s-Dosti, missing from his home since Saturday evening; appears to be yet another attempt to silence the voice of reason and dissent”.
Another comment by Aasim Saeed stated, “#RecoverRaza #FindRaza. His Crime? Seeking PEACE; is that too much to ask?”
A women’s activist Nida Kirmani-Raza shared “a dedicated, peace-loving member of Lahore’s activist community has been missing since Saturday. We demand his safe and speedy return.”
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