Prominent Pakistani Activist Goes Missing Amid Political Turmoil.

Pakistani rights activist Jibran Nasir (file photo)

Pakistani human rights activist and lawyer Jibran Nasir has returned home after being abducted by unidentified armed men in the southern city of Karachi.
"With the prayers and efforts of all friends and colleagues, especially journalists, lawyers and bar councils, civil society and politicians, I have returned home safely," Nasir said on Twitter on June 2.
He also pledged to continue his struggle for the rights of Pakistanis. In a separate tweet , he thanked his wife, who he said had suffered the ordeal of his abduction and yet kept calm and focused on the struggle for his return.
He did not say who abducted him or the circumstances of his release. No one has claimed responsibility. Nasir has been an outspoken critic of human rights violations in the country and represented victims as a lawyer in a number of prominent cases. He has recently criticized the arrests of leaders of former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party and the move to try them in military courts following violent protests earlier month. Dozens of protesters earlier held a rally in Karachi to demand his release after his wife, Mansha Pasha, said on Twitter that he had been kidnapped by armed men on June 1 in Karachi.

The men took Nasir away but left her unharmed, said Pasha, a prominent actress, who asked people to speak out for his return and pray for his safety in a video message.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said it was deeply concerned by the reports that Nasir had been abducted, and Amnesty International called on Pakistani authorities to investigate. Nasir's abduction comes amid an ongoing crackdown against supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was ousted in a no-confidence vote in April 2022.

Violence erupted after Khan's arrest on May 9 outside a court in Islamabad where he was appearing in a graft case.
The turmoil subsided only when the Supreme Court released Khan.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and dpa