LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday restrained the federal government from deporting former vice president of Pak-Turk Schools and his family till next hearing of a petition questioning alleged kidnapping of the Turk nationals.

Justice Shams Mahmood Mirza passed the order hearing a petition moved by Mr Orhan Uygun, a colleague of Mr Mesut Kacmaz, who was allegedly kidnapped the other day from Wapda Town residence along with his wife and two daughters.

Senior lawyer Asma Jahangir appeared on behalf of the petitioner and stated that the government through the attorney general had undertaken before the court last year that the Turkish employees of the Pak-Turk Schools would not be deported till Nov 24, 2017.

However, she said Mr Kacmaz and his family were kidnapped by unidentified persons from their house and there was a likelihood that they would soon be deported in violation of the court’s order. She said the petitioner filed an application with the police station concerned for the registration of a kidnap case, however, the police were reluctant to take any action.

Ms Jahangir asked the court to stop the interior ministry from deporting the Turkish family.

Justice Mirza directed a deputy attorney general to submit reply of the government on the issue by Oct 6 and ensure that the alleged detainees shall not be deported from Pakistan till the next hearing.

Talking to media persons, Ms Jahangir said blatant violation of the high court’s order had been committed in the Turkish national’s case. She said the authorities involved in the alleged abduction and possible deportation of the Turkish family had taken law in their hands.

She said police did not cooperate with the teachers of Pak-Turk Schools and failed to lodge an FIR of the incident.

A Turkish teacher said they had been under UNHCR protection as asylum seekers in Pakistan since November 2016. He said the Turkish educationists had been serving the people of Pakistan for 22 years and never involved in any illegal activity.

He said the Turkish teachers had serious concerns about their safety and wanted the authorities to ensure recovery of the kidnapped colleagues and bring the perpetrators to book.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2017