Mohammad Jibran Nasir, a prominent civil rights activist in Pakistan, recently broke his silence regarding a disturbing event on June 27, 2023. He and his family experienced an unexpected disruption as Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) stopped him from an Emirates flight bound for the UAE.
After maintaining silence for months, Nasir took to Twitter to share his side of the story, shedding light on disturbing occurrences.
Nasir’s Twitter post detailed the unsettling events: “On 27th June my wife and I were scheduled to travel to Dubai via Emirates EK601 to visit my Family for Eid and we were scheduled to return to Karachi on 5th July. We checked in our luggage, got boarding passes, cleared immigration and got the exit stamps but while approaching the Departure Lounge we were called by an FIA official who appeared to be receiving instructions from someone on his phone. He took our passports and read our names to the person on the phone and confirmed “Yahi log hain aap kay” after which we were made to miss our flight, our baggage returned and offloaded stamps affixed on our passports”
Nasir continued by highlighting the lack of a concrete explanation, stating, “The only vague justification provided was ‘Understand, sir, we have instructions not to let you leave.’ Moreover, our legal notices to the Interior Ministry remained unanswered.” He also revealed that the SHC had since demanded an explanation from the concerned departments for the unwarranted actions taken against him.
The Backdrop of Harassment
To provide context, Nasir mentioned a disturbing incident from earlier in the month. “On 1st June, I was seized by roughly 15 armed individuals who exuded the audacity typically associated with official personnel. During my captivity, they vehemently pressured me to abandon my human rights pursuits.”
Drawing a connection between the two incidents, Nasir emphasized, “The 27th June episode and the restrictions imposed on my family’s travel rights appear to be extensions of the unlawful methods employed on 1st June. Their intent is clear – to bully and terrorize me and my loved ones.”
He concluded his statement with an unwavering stance, expressing neither an intent to relinquish his human rights activism nor any plans to leave Pakistan. “I’m here to stay, and I’m here to continue resisting any unconstitutional activities perpetrated by any institution.”
There’s been no official confirmation or explanation from Pakistan’s immigration authorities regarding why Nasir was removed from the Emirates flight to the UAE.
