SWABI: A brother of former adviser to the chief minister on industry and MPA Abdul Karim Tordher was allegedly kidnapped along with three guards by masked men from his residence in Tordher village in Chota Lahor tehsil here early on Wednesday.
The police refrained from commenting on the incident.
The lawmaker’s family claimed that the “kidnappers” reached Mr Karim’s residence in separate vehicles.
They linked the incident with the PTI’s ongoing march on Islamabad and said it was an act of the federal government.
The incident occurred just two days before the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s caravan was scheduled to reach Khairabad Bridge, which separates Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, and preparations for the party’s protest march were in full swing across the district.
Family says incident linked to PTI march, blames Centre
According to PTI leaders, the main purpose of the abduction was to intimidate the PTI leadership and cripple the march on Islamabad.
The family insisted that the incident took place between 2am and 3am, with the “kidnappers” opening fire on vehicles when they were leaving the residence.
Mr Karim’s four cars were badly damaged in the firing.
The family said Abdul Karim was not present at home at the time of the incident. The “abductors” stood outside Mr Karim’s room, saying that he should come out, as they were there to take him away.
The family said that the attackers tortured Abdul Karim’s guards Bacha Khan, Ghani Rehman and Sardar Ali for offering resistance and kidnapped them.
Abdul Karim’s brother Abdul Nasir was also abducted after being tortured, according to the family.
The “kidnappers” also damaged the closed-circuit television cameras installed at the residence and took away the digital video recorder.
The family demanded a transparent investigation into the incident and action against culprits.
Meanwhile, PTI leaders and workers thronged Mr Karim’s house after learning about the incident.
Among them was PTI leader and former speaker of the National Assembly Asad Qaiser, who condemned the “attack” on the residence of MPA Abdul Karim and expressed solidarity with him and his family.
Mr Qaiser said that the sanctity of the home had been violated, with women and children being subjected to harassment and disrespect, while vehicles were also damaged.
He said that the country could not be allowed to function like a jungle or a banana republic and that the Constitution and the rule of law must prevail.
The PTI leader said his party was committed to continuing peaceful democratic and constitutional efforts for the restoration of the Constitution and the rule of law, regardless of political victimisation, coercion or repression.
He also questioned under what constitutional and legal authority the governor had convened security-related meetings in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, asking whether governor’s rule or an emergency has been imposed in the province.
He said that the governor had no justification for presiding over such meetings.
He added that PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari should explain whether this was his concept of democracy, where his party’s governor presided over unconstitutional meetings in a province.
He said Bilawal Bhutto and PPP could not absolve themselves of responsibility for unlawful actions against PTI, as they were part of the present federal government.
Asad Qaiser said that peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and across Pakistan was their foremost priority, but the decision-makers must answer whether peace has actually been established in the province after more than 22 military operations were carried out.
He stressed that they wanted peace and stability, but state authorities must seriously review their policies and adopt a political, constitutional and sustainable approach to address the challenges facing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Published in Dawn, October 8th, 2026
