Jang reporter ‘taken away by police’ in Karachi returns: newspaper

KARACHI: Syed Muhammad Askari, a reporter from Urdu-language Jang newspaper, reemerged after a mysterious disappearance that lasted over 24 hours, his employer and family confirmed on Monday.

Syed Mohammad Askari returned home, his family confirms https://t.co/uc44iRA3sY

— Naimat Khan (@NKMalazai) July 10, 2023

According to Geo News, eyewitnesses, including a friend of Askari present during the incident, said he was apprehended by both police personnel and individuals in plain clothes on Saturday night near the KPT Interchange in the Qayyumabad suburb of Korangi Town.

The witnesses claimed that a police vehicle and a white car intercepted Askari’s vehicle as he and his friend were returning from a wedding.

According to the friend, despite Askari identifying himself as a reporter and explaining his profession, both the police and plain-clothed men detained them.

However, the friend was later released. He brought the vehicle to the Jang office and reported the incident.

In a complaint lodged at Baloch Colony police station, Askari's wife, Shazia Askari, accused both uniformed policemen and plainclothes personnel of "abducting" her husband for reasons yet unknown.

She described the abductors as individuals with concealed faces traveling in a police vehicle and a white car. The incident occurred around 1:15 am on Sunday.