Social media activist ‘picked up’ in Karachi

Days after a senior journalist associated with the Aaj News was whisked away in Karachi, Arsalan Khan, a social media activist and journalist, went missing from the city on Friday.

His family claimed that around 15 men picked him up from his residence in the Clifton area at around 4:30am. Khan, who is active on social media, especially on Twitter with his handle AK-47, has worked with different media organisations over the years.

The Amnesty International expressed concern over the incident, tweeting that Pakistan must end the practice of punishing dissent by wrenching people away from their loved ones. When District South Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Asad Raza was asked about the police involvement in Khan’s disappearance, he replied in the negative. He said the police would register a case if the family approached them for it.

On June 13, Nafees Naeem, an assignment editor at the Aaj News television channel, was picked up from near his residence. However, he returned home safely within 24 hours.