Farrukh Habib, a senior leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has allegedly been subjected to an enforced disappearance for last many days, forcing her wife to seek Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa’s intervention for recovery of her husband.
She wrote a letter to the CJP stating that her husband Farrukh Habib was forcibly taken away by unidentified individuals in Gwadar on September 28, 2023.
He has not been presented before a magistrate, a direct violation of his fundamental right to a fair trial and access to justice, the letter stated.
His wife expressed deep concern, suggesting that the intensified crackdown on political activists post-9 May 2023 might have led to her husband’s abduction.
Describing Farrukh as a law-abiding citizen and the PTI President of the West Region, his wife highlighted his significant contributions to the nation.
He had served as a member of the National Assembly from August 2018 to April 2022 and had held the position of Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting.
The distressed wife revealed her fears, suggesting that her husband might be undergoing torture and humiliation with the sinister objective of forcing him to change his political loyalties.
She pointed out the pattern, asserting that numerous political leaders had met a similar fate, raising concerns about the calculated methods behind these enforced disappearances.
In an attempt to secure her husband’s release, she lamented the sluggish progress of legal proceedings.
Despite filing a habeas corpus petition in the Lahore High Court, which directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Punjab to report on Farrukh’s whereabouts, no substantial progress had been made, she stated.
This delay only heightened her anxiety, amplifying concerns that every effort was being made to keep Farrukh as a missing person.
The letter underscored the dire situation prevailing in the country. It shed light on the grave human rights violations perpetrated by the current regime, particularly the brutal crackdown on political activists and leaders.
Allegedly, these actions had forced numerous PTI workers and leaders into hiding, further destabilizing the political landscape.
