“What Chishti has described is shocking that the Karachi police could kidnap a journalist to deliver him to the Boss,” FN said.

Ali Chishti, who writes for Pakistani and foreign publications on security issues, went on air on Friday night to describe his ordeal after being picked up from Karachi’s PECHS area along with his driver on August 30 at around 8pm by “uniformed personnel” of the Karachi police.

“Upon enquiry, I was told that I am not being kidnapped but someone wanted to see me; when I asked who?” They said “Boss,” Chishti said.

“Chishti’s kidnapping is the second case after journalist Abdul Razki Baloch’s body was found with signs of torture on August 21 in Karachi. Anything less than a thorough investigation under the supervision of a Sindh High Court judge will not take us to facts,” FN demanded of the Sindh chief minister. Meanwhile, Senator Saeed Ghani of the Pakistan People’s Party has contacted Chishti and promised an investigation.

Daily Times

Ali K. Chishti, a correspondent of Friday Times, said he was intercepted by some half a dozen policemen in the PECHS area minutes after he had left his office with driver on Aug 30.

Mr Chishti, who felt that there was serious threat to his life, left for Islamabad after the incident. He said he ‘suspected some people’ of being behind the incident. However, he did not mention any name.

“I was dragged out of my car, put into a police vehicle and taken to Do Darya where I and my driver were handed over to some people in civvies. I also heard a gunshot…soon after we were taken out of the vehicle. I was kept there for nine hours and severely beaten up. My driver has since been missing,” he said.

Mr Chishti said the people in civvies threatened him and asked him to leave the city within 24 hours and refrain from reporting the matter to anyone. They also ‘abused’ Friday Times editor Najam Sethi, he added.

“I wrote extensively on national security issues and also about extremist elements. I am not sure but have enough reasons to believe who they were and why they did it to me,” said Mr Chishti.

Our New York Correspondent adds: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called on the Pakistani government to fully investigate the abduction and beating of Mr Chishti.

Mr Chishti told CPJ and other news outlets that he had been abducted and beaten up on Aug 30, and released the next morning.

DAWN