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Anti-U.S. drone campaigner kidnapped in Pakistan

10 February 2014 18:04 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. A Pakistani campaigner against the U.S. drone attacks has gone missing after he was picked up from his residence in the outskirts of Islamabad, his family and lawyer said on Monday, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

Karim Khan, originally a resident of North Waziristan tribal region, had been an active member of the anti-drone campaign and had organized several protests in Islamabad and the northwestern city of Peshawar.

His family said that over 15 armed people, eight of them allegedly in police uniform, raided his residence at Dhok Mustaqeem in Rawalpindi city late at night on Feb. 5 and forcibly took him away.

Senior advocate Shehzad Akbar, who is also an anti-drone activist, confirmed the incident and said that he has filed a habeas-corpus petition in a court. The court has issued notices to the Punjab police, the government and Secretary Interior for February 12.

A report has also been filed with the area police. The police said they are unaware of the incident.

Karim Khan had recently shifted his family to Islamabad following air strikes against militants around Mir Ali in North Waziristan.

Previously, Khan's son was killed in one of the drone attacks in North Waziristan.

Shehzad Akbar said Karim Khan, who was due to travel to Europe this week with him to give evidence to parliamentarians, was detained by unknown elements of the Pakistani police and has not been seen since.

"The men did not disclose their identities and no reason was given for the detention. Mr. Khan's wife and young children were present at the time, as was a neighbor," Akbar, defense lawyer for Kareem Khan said in a statement.

Mr. Khan was due to travel to Europe this Saturday, where he was scheduled to speak with German, Dutch and British parliamentarians about his personal experience with drone strikes and the impact such strikes are having on his country.

Mr. Khan is also involved in legal proceedings on behalf of his brother, Asif Iqbal, a teacher, and his son Zahinullah. Mr. Khan has requested the courts order the Pakistani police to launch a criminal investigation into the drone strike, arguing it constitutes murder under domestic law