Social media activist and journalist Arsalan Khan on Thursday announced a hunger strike along with his family until he gets justice from the government.
Taking to Twitter, he said, “I along with my family locked up in my apartment to carry a hunger strike until I get justice from the PPPs Sindh & PDM’s Federal governments.”
I along with my family locked up in my apartment to carry a hunger strike until I get justice from the PPPs Sindh & PDM's Federal govts. if anything happens with me or my family I will leave my case on Allah and say goodbye to all of you. Thank you all I love you ❤️
— AK-47™© (@AK_Forty7) June 29, 2022
On Saturday, Sindh Rangers released Khan, who was reported missing a day earlier.
In a statement, the paramilitary force confirmed that Khan was arrested by them and was subsequently released. It said the Rangers arrested him from the Clifton area of Karachi and claimed he was “in contact with a terrorist group.”
“The initial investigation has revealed that the suspect has allegedly been in contact with a terrorist group and received financial assistance,” the statement claimed.
The paramilitary force stated that the crime was a ‘clear white-collar,’ and was handed over to relevant authorities for further investigation.
Moreover, it maintained that Khan had been instructed to “co-operate in future investigations.”
He said, “If anything happens with me or my family I will leave my case on Allah and say goodbye to all of you.
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Arsalan Khan, known as AK47 on Twitter, has worked with different media organisations over the years.
One of his friends told The Express Tribune that during the drive against the missing persons’ recovery, Arsalan was helping the families.
After the social media activist was picked up at 4 am, Amnesty International said it was “deeply concerned.”
In a tweet, the human rights watchdog said, “Pakistan must end this abhorrent practice of punishing dissent by wrenching people away from their loved ones.”
It urged the newly-appointed Inter-Ministerial Committee on Missing Persons to take note of the “jarring disconnect between what they are saying and what is actually happening on the ground.”
Input from The Express Tribune