Islamabad [Pakistan], May 28 : Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday said the country demanded to know the whereabouts of journalists Sami Ibrahim and Imran Riaz Khan.
He tweeted, "The nation demands to know the whereabouts of journalists Sami Ibrahim and Imran Riaz Khan. Why is the journalistic community so overawed and scared to demand for both to be produced in the court of law within 48 hours, as it is their fundamental right. Otherwise it should then be called an abduction. These terror tactics are just an attempt to muzzle the media, so that this unprecedented fascist crackdown on the largest political party is only to be kept out of any media coverage."
Imran Khan's statement on Twitter comes after senior journalist Sami Ibrahim went missing from Islamabad, The Express Tribune reported. In a statement, the Islamabad police said that efforts are being made for the search and recovery of Ibrahim but called it premature to draw conclusions yet.
The Islamabad police further said that police will cooperate with the family of a senior journalist, The Express Tribune reported. In a complaint filed by Ibrahim's brother Ali Raza at Aabpara Police Station, the journalist was intercepted by four cars near Sixth Avenue, Sector G-6, at around 9 pm (local time) on Wednesday after he left his office to head home with his driver.
According to the complainant, the journalist was forcibly taken by eight to 10 unidentified men. They also took three mobile phones that belonged to the driver and car keys, as per The Express Tribune report.
The development comes amid a crackdown on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) leadership, workers and supporters. Media personnel have also come under the ire of the state for expressing their views in support of the political party and/or against violations of civil liberties and judicial rights, as per The Express Tribune report.
Journalists Imran Riaz Khan and Aftab Iqbal, both supporters of the PTI, were also taken into custody earlier this month. The whereabouts of Imran Riaz Khan are not known while Aftab Iqbal has been released.