A suspect identified as Khalid alias Sajid has been taken into custody in connection with the abduction of Mohammad Afzal from near Kot Radha Kishan, but the missing man’s family says Kasur police have yet to recover him or take effective action.
According to Mohammad Afzal’s brother, Mohammad Tariq, the arrest was made more than a week ago after long-running inquiries. Afzal went missing on 24 October 2016 after leaving home on his Honda 125 motorcycle, registration LEL-3894, following a job call. The family filed an abduction report at Changamanga police station in Kasur under FIR No. 703/16 dated 29-11-2016 when he failed to return.
The family alleges that the real perpetrators include their relative Khalid aka Sajid and his elder brother Muhammad Bashir, and that initial inquiries suggested the two men lured and abducted Afzal. Tariq told reporters at Rawalpindi Press Club that although a wanted man named Sajid was arrested by Lahore authorities, Kasur police have not pursued the case vigorously enough to locate Afzal or to arrest Bashir.
Afzal’s brother appealed directly to the Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, the IGP Punjab, the DPO Kasur and the Citizen Complaint Desk to ensure that the arrested suspect is interrogated and that all involved are brought to justice. He demanded that his brother be recovered alive or dead and that prompt legal action be taken against those responsible.
The family says they have searched for Afzal for years and that the prolonged silence and apparent delay by local authorities have deepened their distress. Afzal is a father of five and his children and parents remain in emotional anguish, frequently asking about his whereabouts.
While the arrest of Khalid alias Sajid raises hopes for progress in the case, the Tariq family and community members are pressing Kasur police for immediate follow-up, the arrest of co-accused Muhammad Bashir if he is at large, and a transparent investigation that leads to the recovery of Mohammad Afzal and accountability for those involved.
