HYDERABAD, March 23: An activist of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Akhtar Baloch, was “kidnapped” on Saturday evening by some “unidentified persons.”

He was returning to the Shahbaz Building in a Potohar jeep after clearing hotel bills of some of the HRCP officials, including I. A. Rehman and Hussain Naqi, who were here to attend the commission’s annual general meeting. Akhtar was accompanied by a driver of the HRCP, Akbar.

They were intercepted by occupants of another Potohar jeep (E-0125) and some persons riding motorcycles, when they reached near the venue of the HRCP meeting Shahbaz building, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Cantonment police station.

According to Mr Akbar, occupants of the jeep, who had strong physiques, forcibly dumped Mr Baloch in their vehicle and headed towards the left side of the Defence Plaza.

They had threatened Mr Akbar with shooting him if he looked back, the driver added.

Later, the police was informed.

The Regional Police Officer, Hyderabad, was not available on telephone for comments while the DPO, Hyderabad, A. D. Khwaja, was also out of station.

However, the additional DPO, Sharjeel Kharal, without being specific told Dawn that Mr Baloch had not been picked up by the police but the police knew about his kidnapping.

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