On Friday, the Lahore High Court (LHC) directed the police to find artist Aun Ali Khosa by August 20, according to Dawn. Khosa was reportedly “taken into custody by some unknown armed men” on the night between Wednesday and Thursday. His wife, Binish Iqbal, filed a petition claiming that Aun is being held “in the unlawful and illegal custody of the law enforcement authorities.”
The petition highlighted that Aun’s whereabouts are unknown and expressed concern for his “safety,” fearing he might be a victim of enforced disappearance. Justice Shahbaz Ali Rizvi, who heard the petition, ordered the capital city police officer (CCPO) Lahore to present the “abducted” artist in court by August 20.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Lahore, Faisal Kamran, reported that the police had not received any complaints about Khosa’s alleged abduction. He stated that an investigation would commence once a formal complaint is filed, Dawn reported.
The petition describes Aun as a “digital content creator, writer, and respected comedian/artist” with 137,000 YouTube subscribers. It alleges that a dozen police officers and “masked men in plain clothes” forcibly entered his apartment, breaking down the door. They reportedly seized Aun’s phone, laptop, computer system, and digital camera. The solicitor who attempted to follow them was allegedly manhandled and pushed into a Black Vigo vehicle before the men drove away.
The petition also notes that the solicitor asked the men for the reason behind their actions, but received no response before they left, according to Dawn News.
On August 15, Aun’s brother, Ali Sher Khosa, claimed the incident occurred while Aun was in his Lahore apartment and urged people to pray for Aun’s safe return and help raise awareness.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed concern over reports that Khosa was “abducted” by unknown armed men from his Lahore home. HRCP is worried that the incident might be related to his work as a satirist and has called for his immediate recovery.
