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March 24, 2025 – Pakistan –
The Islamabad High Court is investigating the disappearance of two brothers of exiled investigative journalist Ahmad Noorani, following their abduction on March 19, 2025. Around 20 armed men—some in uniform—stormed the Noorani family home in Islamabad during the early hours, forcibly taking Muhammad Saifur Rehman Haider and Muhammad Ali, both engineers, to an undisclosed location. Phones were seized, and surveillance footage was reportedly deleted by the assailants.
Ahmad Noorani, now based in the United States, is known for high-profile investigations into Pakistan’s military elite through his platform FactFocus. He believes the abductions were in retaliation for a recent exposé he published linking Pakistan’s army chief, General Asim Munir, to nepotism. Human rights groups and press freedom advocates have echoed these concerns, with Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) denouncing the incident as an attempt to intimidate and silence investigative reporting.
In response, Noorani’s mother filed a habeas corpus petition at the Islamabad High Court. The case has been marked by the judiciary’s frustration over the lack of progress. Justice Inam Ameen Minhas rebuked the Islamabad police for failing to file a formal First Information Report and presenting inconclusive findings despite geofencing, call data analysis, and reviewing CCTV footage.
Islamabad’s Inspector General of Police, Ali Nasir Rizvi, asked for two more weeks to locate the missing brothers, stating that all law enforcement and intelligence agencies had been contacted. A special investigation team has been formed, but so far, no breakthroughs have been reported.
The case has drawn international attention, amplifying concerns over the safety of journalists and their families in Pakistan. Press freedom organizations have demanded the immediate release of Noorani’s brothers and an independent investigation into the incident. The court has adjourned the hearing until after Eid al-Fitr, awaiting further reports from the Ministry of Defence and the police.
The incident underscores the risks faced by journalists and their families in Pakistan, where enforced disappearances are increasingly seen as tools of intimidation and control.
Reference –
Exiled Pakistani journalist’s brothers ‘abducted,’ another journalist disappears
Investigative journalist Ahmad Noorani charged under cybercrime law, his Brothers abducted
