PTI regrets alleged kidnapping of defender Ali Zaman

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday condemned the alleged abduction of lawyer Ali Zaman from Rawalpindi by unidentified men, saying the matter raised concerns over law and order and safety of public representatives.

“According to reports, Lawyer Ali Zaman and his brother have been kidnapped by unknown persons in three unregistered vehicles. We strongly condemn this cowardly act and demand that Lawyer Ali Zaman and his brother be rescued immediately and strict action be taken against the elements involved in the kidnapping,” said a statement issued by the party’s central information department in X.

PTI Chairman Advocate Gohar Ali Khan said Zaman was a member of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council and a Supreme Court lawyer.

He said her alleged kidnapping was “very disturbing, reprehensible and a clear violation of the law.” Gohar said Zaman was a respected and honored senior lawyer in the legal community and demanded his immediate release.

“Journalists, lawyers and all citizens are today in the clutches of fascism. Ali Zaman is an elected member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council and an important part of the PTI’s legal team. His abduction is an attack on the process of getting justice,” PTI general secretary Salman Akram Raja said.

PTI members Junaid Akbar and Asif Khan said the alleged kidnapping was a “reflection of the worst anarchy and law of the jungle”, adding that the incident was “highly intolerable and condemnable”.

They said the protection of lawyers was the responsibility of the state and asserted that human rights organizations and the public should immediately raise their voices against the “atrocity.”

“This is a very sad and condemnable incident, which shows a serious violation of the rule of law in the country. Unfortunately, the law of the jungle rules in the country, where the powerful do their will and the lives and properties of the people are not safe.

“The government, which is responsible for the protection of lives and properties of its citizens, but the fake Form 47 government has failed to provide security to its citizens,” said PTI MNA and former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser.

KP Assembly Speaker Babar Swati said the incident was “not only an attack on the rule of law but also a moment of reflection for the entire judicial system.”

He further said that “this attack on vehicles without license plates is a reflection of the worst anarchy. Human rights institutions and the public must not remain silent in the face of this serious atrocity.”

KP Justice Minister Aftab Alam demanded Zaman’s immediate release, saying the alleged arrest was a “flagrant violation of fundamental human and constitutional rights, which cannot be accepted under any circumstances.”

KP Local Government Minister Meena Khan Afridi called the incident a “direct attack on state power”.

“I strongly condemn this brutal and cowardly act!! Ali Zaman is a powerful, effective and fearless voice against the system of oppression, hypocrisy and fascism, who has always stood firm against this oppressive system and has been telling the truth.

“Attacking lawyers is actually taking the entire judicial system hostage. If lawyers themselves become insecure, then there is no guarantee of justice for the common citizen,” he said.

The minister called on human rights organizations, civil society and political activists to raise an immediate and effective voice against “this oppression and to expose these unknown people and bring them to justice.”

“This culture of disappearing people cannot continue. It is a stain that will be very difficult to forget. Ali Zaman must be released now,” said former KP Finance Minister Taimur Saleem Khan Jhagra.

Akbar posted an X video of a protest in Peshawar for Zaman’s release.

PTI leader Irfan Saleem also asked workers and supporters to address the Assembly Chowk to protest against the alleged kidnapping.

PTI-affiliated accounts later said he was released, but no official account or official confirmed this so far.