PTI cries foul over alleged kidnapping of lawyer Ali Zaman

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday condemned the alleged kidnapping of lawyer Ali Zaman from Rawalpindi by unidentified men, saying the issue raised concerns over public order and safety of public officials.

“According to reports, lawyer Ali Zaman and his brother were kidnapped by unknown persons in three unregistered vehicles. We strongly condemn this cowardly act and demand that lawyer Ali Zaman and his brother be immediately rescued and strict action taken against the elements involved in the kidnapping,” said a statement issued by the party’s central information department on X.

Advocate Gohar Ali Khan, president of PTI, said Zaman was a member of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council and an advocate of the Supreme Court.

He said her alleged kidnapping was “very disturbing, reprehensible and a blatant violation of the law.” Gohar said Zaman was a respected and honored senior lawyer in the legal community, and demanded his immediate release.

“Journalists, lawyers and all citizens are today under the grip of fascism. Ali Zaman is an elected member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council and an important part of the PTI legal team. His abduction is an attack on the process of seeking justice,” said PTI General Secretary Salman Akram Raja.

PTI MPs Junaid Akbar and Asif Khan said the alleged kidnapping was “a reflection of the worst anarchy and law of the jungle”, adding that the incident was “highly intolerable and condemnable”.

They said the protection of lawyers was the responsibility of the state, saying human rights organizations and the public should immediately raise their voices against these “atrocities.”

“This is a very sad and condemnable incident, which demonstrates a serious violation of the rule of law in the country. Unfortunately, the law of the jungle is in force in a country where the powerful do their will and the lives and property of the people are not safe.

“The government, which is responsible for protecting the lives and property of its citizens, but the fake Form 47 government, has completely failed to ensure the safety of its citizens,” said PTI MP and former Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser.

KP Assembly Speaker Babar Swati said the incident was “not only an attack on the rule of law but also a moment of reflection for the entire judiciary”.

He added that “this attack on vehicles without license plates reflects the worst lawlessness. Human rights institutions and the public should not remain silent in the face of this grave atrocity.”

KP Law Minister Aftab Alam demanded Zaman’s immediate release, saying the alleged arrest was a “gross violation of fundamental human and constitutional rights, which cannot be accepted under any circumstances.”

KP Local Government Minister Meena Khan Afridi termed the incident a “direct attack on the state mandate”.

“I strongly condemn this brutal and cowardly act!! Ali Zaman is a powerful, effective and fearless voice against the system of oppression, hypocrisy and fascism, who has always stood firm against this oppressive system and spoken the truth.

“Targeting lawyers is effectively holding the entire justice system hostage. If lawyers themselves are no longer safe, then there is no guarantee of justice for the ordinary citizen,” he said.

The minister called on human rights organizations, civil society and political activists to immediately and effectively speak out against “this oppression, to denounce these unknown people and bring them to justice”.

“This culture of disappearance of people cannot continue. It is a stain which will be very difficult to forget. Ali Zaman must be released now,” said former KP Finance Minister Taimur Saleem Khan Jhagra.

Akbar posted a video on X of a demonstration in Peshawar for the release of Zaman.

PTI leader Irfan Saleem also called on workers and their supporters to march to Assembly Chowk to protest against the alleged kidnapping.

PTI-affiliated accounts later said he had been released, but no official accounts or officials have confirmed this yet.