PFUJ calls for end to Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists
November 02, 2025: PFUJ urges Pakistan’s federal and provincial governments to end Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists and ensure their safety and press freedom.
JournalismPakistan.com | Published 6 months ago | JP Staff Report
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ISLAMABAD—The Ministry of Defence informed the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday that it does not have custody of the two missing brothers of journalist Ahmad Noorani, nor does it know their whereabouts.
Justice Inam Amin Minhas presided over the hearing of the petition concerning Saifur Rahman Haider and Muhammad Ali, who were allegedly forcibly abducted from their home in Islamabad during the night between March 18 and 19 by unidentified men.
Ahmad Noorani, a well-known investigative journalist, has been living in self-exile in the United States for several years due to threats to his safety in Pakistan.
During the proceedings, IG Islamabad Police Ali Nasir Rizvi told the court that a special investigation team had been constituted to trace the missing individuals. He shared that mobile SIM activity linked to both brothers was detected in Bahawalpur and Uch Sharif on March 22 and 23, while their phones had remained switched off from March 19 to 21.
Rizvi added that police teams had been dispatched to Bahawalpur and Sindh, and that coordination was ongoing with the Punjab Police, given that the missing brothers are originally from Bahawalpur. He confirmed that the police are also exploring the possibility of abduction.
Despite these developments, Justice Inam Minhas issued a clear directive: “My instruction is to produce the individuals.”
The case has raised serious concerns about the safety of journalists’ families and the growing number of enforced disappearances in Pakistan.
اسلام آباد — وزارتِ دفاع نے پیر کے روز اسلام آباد ہائی کورٹ کو آگاہ کیا کہ صحافی احمد نورانی کے دو لاپتہ بھائی ان کی تحویل میں نہیں ہیں اور انہیں ان کی موجودہ جگہ کا علم نہیں۔
جسٹس انعام امین منہاس نے احمد نورانی کے بھائیوں سیف الرحمان حیدر اور محمد علی کی گمشدگی سے متعلق درخواست کی سماعت کی۔ دونوں بھائیوں کو 18 اور 19 مارچ کی درمیانی رات اسلام آباد میں واقع ان کے گھر سے نامعلوم افراد نے زبردستی اغوا کر لیا تھا۔
واضح رہے کہ احمد نورانی کئی سالوں سے امریکہ میں خود ساختہ جلاوطنی کی زندگی گزار رہے ہیں کیونکہ پاکستان میں ان کی جان کو خطرات لاحق تھے۔
سماعت کے دوران آئی جی اسلام آباد علی ناصر رضوی نے عدالت کو بتایا کہ انہوں نے ایک خصوصی تحقیقاتی ٹیم تشکیل دی ہے جو لاپتہ افراد کو تلاش کرنے کے لیے کوششیں کر رہی ہے۔
انہوں نے مزید بتایا کہ 22 اور 23 مارچ کو دونوں بھائیوں کی سم ایکٹیویٹی بہاولپور اور اوچ شریف میں ٹریس ہوئی، جبکہ 19 سے 21 مارچ تک دونوں کے موبائل فون بند رہے۔
آئی جی نے عدالت کو بتایا کہ پولیس ٹیمیں بہاولپور اور سندھ بھیجی گئی ہیں، اور پنجاب پولیس کے ساتھ رابطہ بھی جاری ہے کیونکہ دونوں بھائیوں کا تعلق بہاولپور سے ہے۔ انہوں نے مزید کہا کہ پولیس اس کیس کو اغوا کے طور پر بھی دیکھ رہی ہے۔
تاہم عدالت نے واضح ہدایات جاری کرتے ہوئے کہا: "میری ہدایت ہے کہ افراد کو عدالت میں پیش کیا جائے۔
یہ کیس پاکستان میں صحافیوں کے اہلِ خانہ کی سلامتی اور جبری گمشدگیوں کے بڑھتے ہوئے واقعات پر شدید تحفظات کو اجاگر کرتا ہے۔
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