Canadian National Reported Missing in Lahore, Kidnapping Case Registered

Police in Lahore have registered a kidnapping case against unidentified suspects following the disappearance of a Canadian national, Hamza Ahmad, who was reportedly pursuing doctoral research in the city. The case was filed on Saturday at a police station in Defence Housing Authority (DHA).

The first information report (FIR) was lodged by Yousif Rasheed, a friend of Ahmad. Rasheed stated in the FIR that Ahmad arrived in Pakistan on February 13 to work on his PhD thesis and had been staying with him in DHA Phase 10. According to the complaint, Ahmad booked a cab and left the residence between 1am and 2am on February 19 but did not return. Rasheed further mentioned that he and other friends attempted to locate Ahmad on their own but were unable to find any trace of him.

The FIR alleges that unknown persons may have kidnapped Ahmad and requests legal action against those responsible. Lahore Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Faisal Kamran confirmed to Dawn that a kidnapping case had been registered in connection with Ahmad's disappearance.

As of now, no suspects have been identified, and the investigation is ongoing. Police have not released further details regarding the circumstances of Ahmad's disappearance or any leads in the case.

The incident has raised concerns among the local community, particularly within academic circles, as Ahmad was reportedly in Lahore for academic purposes. Authorities have urged anyone with information about Ahmad's whereabouts to come forward and assist in the investigation.