A Canadian national missing in Lahore has prompted police to register a kidnapping case against unidentified suspects, officials confirmed on Saturday.
The missing individual, Hamza Ahmad, arrived in Pakistan on February 13 to work on his PhD thesis. According to the first information report (FIR), he was staying with a friend in DHA Phase 10.
The complainant, Yousif Rasheed, told police that Ahmad left the residence between 1 am and 2 am on February 19 after booking a cab. He did not return, and friends were unable to trace him despite their own searches.
Canadian National Missing in Lahore
A police station in the Defence Housing Authority registered the case under kidnapping charges. Lahore Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations, Faisal Kamran, confirmed that a case had been filed and that efforts were underway to locate Ahmad.
“At this stage, we do not know who might have kidnapped Ahmad or whether he went missing under other circumstances,” the DIG said. He added that the motive behind the alleged abduction remains unclear and that investigations are ongoing.
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed grave concern over the incident. In a post on X, the commission urged authorities to immediately trace Ahmad’s whereabouts and ensure his safe recovery.
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Academics and activists also voiced concerns. Political activist Ammar Ali Jan stated on social media that he had recently met Ahmad in Lahore and described him as a PhD scholar researching anti-imperialist politics.
The opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP) emphasised that the right to pursue academic research and express scholarly views is fundamental in a democratic society.
