LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday directed the police to recover YouTuber Aun Ali Khosa allegedly picked up by the law enforcement agencies.

Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi heard a habeas corpus petition filed by Binish Iqbal, the wife of Khosa.

Advocate Khadija Siddiqui appeared on behalf of the petitioner and argued that unidentified persons barged into the house of her client the other night. She said the attackers took away the husband of the petitioner who had no knowledge of the whereabouts of her ‘abducted’ husband. She asked the court to order the police to recover the petitioner’s husband and present him before the court.

The judge issued a notice to the capital city police officer of Lahore with a direction to recover the missing YouTuber by Aug 20.

Aun Khosa had recently sung a song, Bill Bill Pakistan, and released its video, criticising the high prices of electricity and extra taxes added to it. He also took on the worthlessness of Pakistani passport and frequent foreign loans that the country had to take.

Separately, Justice Shakil Ahmad allowed more time to Sialkot police to recover the missing PTI activist, Arsalan Akbar, till Aug 28.

Earlier, Assistant Advocate General Farrukh Lodhi presented a report, saying a case had been registered about the alleged abduction of the activist on a complaint of his father.

The Sialkot district police officer (DPO) also appeared before the court. He said letters had also been written to other law enforcement agencies, seeking information about the whereabouts of the PTI activist.

However, the law officer said the petitioner had not joined the investigation or gave police the CCTV footage of the alleged occurrence.

Justice Ahmad directed the petitioner to join the police investigation and hand over the video recording to the police. The judge also directed the police to ensure recovery of the allegedly missing activist by the next hearing.

The judge disposed of a petition for recovery of social media activist Naeem Ahmad Yasin as a lawyer told the judge that the wife of the missing activist wanted to approach the Islamabad High Court on the matter. The layer requested the court to allow the petitioner to withdraw her petition.

The judge allowed the request and disposed of the petition as withdrawn.

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2024