Journalist's son 'goes missing' in Karachi

Published May 15, 2019
Muhammad Shafaat Soomro, the son of a senior journalist, has gone missing. — Photo courtesy Imtiaz Ali
Muhammad Shafaat Soomro, the son of a senior journalist, has gone missing. — Photo courtesy Imtiaz Ali

Police on Tuesday registered a case against the alleged abduction of senior journalist Shafqat Soomro's son nearly a week after the 25-year-old engineer went missing in Karachi.

Soomro, the editor of local news agency PPI, told Dawn that his son, Muhammad Shafaat, has been missing for six days but law enforcement officials have, so far, been unable to uncover any clues as to his whereabouts.

Soomro said his son had studied Mechanical Engineering at Quaid-i-Awan University Nawabshah and was engaged in an internship at a local company.

"On May 10, my son was abducted while he was on the way to work. He neither reached his office, nor did he return home," Soomro alleged.

"His cellphone is turned off, and police and other institutions, including the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee, are reluctant to share his GPS location or any other details," Soomro claimed.

"The authorities are keeping mum, institutions have become deaf and dumb. Six days have passed and my son is still missing," Soomro said. "Words can't express the pain and agony my family and I are experiencing."

Police lodged a first information report (FIR) on May 14, five days after Shafaat went missing, but there has been little progress in the case.

The case has been registered under Section 365 of the Pakistan Penal Code (kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person).

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