Family Of Pakistani Journalist Says He Is Missing, Police Deny Claim

The family of a Pakistani journalist has claimed that he is missing since Wednesday, according to Dawn. Abir Mir, who also works as a human rights activist in Balochistan, was last seen at an ATM in capital Islamabad on February 8, according to his family. However, the Islamabad Police said on Twitter on Thursday that Mr Mir returned home, but the claim has been denied by his family, the outlet added. As the news about Mr Mir's disappearance spread, social media users expressed concern and demanded that he should be brought back.

Mr Mir's brother Khalid posted a video on Twitter yesterday in which he said that the journalist was in touch with his family and friends till 6.30pm and then disappeared.

Khalid further said that the family is in contact with the police to file an FIR. He added that the journalist had not been involved in any controversial issue and did not face any threat from anyone.

Speaking to Dawn, Khalid said he didn't pay much attention to the news yesterday as Mr Abid often left the house late at night to study with his friends.

But he received a call from Mr Abid's family on Thursday morning and was informed that he is missing.

The Islamabad Police, meanwhile, said in a tweet posted in Urdu that Mr Mir had returned home. They further said that the impression of Mr Abid going missing was false and had been created after the journalist lost contact with his family, according to an English translation of the tweet.

The issue gave ammunition to the opposition to attack the government in Pakistan. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi was quoted as saying by The Express Tribune that the number of such cases has increased under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.