Case Update Status

Sami Ibrahim recovered on May 29, 2023.

Summary of Case

"Senior anchorperson of Bol News was arrested on May 24, 2023, by unidentified people in Islamabad. According to the application submitted by the brother of Sami Abraham, Ali Raza in Aabpara police station, he requested the station house officer to recover his brother as he was missing from the service road of Sixth Avenue when he was coming from his office four cars came and 8 to 10 unidentified people kidnapped his brother. He stated that the unidentified people left his driver however they have kidnapped his brother and they took all his electronic devices along with them. Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists has strongly condemned the kidnapping of Abraham. According to the application submitted by the brother of Sami Abraham, Ali Raza in Aabpara police station, he requested the station house officer to recover his brother as he was missing from the service road of Sixth Avenue when he was coming from his office four cars came and 8 to 10 unidentified people kidnapped his brother. He stated that the unidentified people left his driver however they have kidnapped his brother and they took all his electronic devices along with them. Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists has strongly condemned the kidnapping of Abraham. Speaking to PPF, Ali Raza, brother of Sami Abraham told that on May 25, 2023, he filed a writ petition in Islamabad High Court to which chief justice Amir Farooq had issued notices to summon SHO Aabpara, Director General of Federal Investigation Agency, Inspector General of Islamabad Police and Deputy Commissioner in Islamabad High Court and share the report of the whereabouts of Sami Abraham. Raza said he is still in court, the court proceeding is in process, and the court hearing is ongoing. Speaking to PPF, Anwar Raza, president of the National press club said that no one knows where is Sami Abraham and he was abducted when he was coming from his office yesterday his brother filed a writ petition in Islamabad high court and chief justice Amir Farooq has summoned the police high-ups today. Speaking to PPF, Afzal Butt, president of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists said that he is in court right now and he shared the live coverage on his Facebook post related to the legal counsel of Abraham, Raja Amir Abbas said the chief justice, Amir Farooq summoned the IG Islamabad in the court proceeding today and asked him about the whereabouts of Abraham, to which IG Islamabad Dr. Akbar Nasir granted two days to recover Abraham, but justice Farooq ordered to submit a report in the second of the court hearing on the whereabouts of Abraham and directed the SHO to register the missing FIR. FIR has been registered in the police station Aabpara and FIR number is 445/23, FIR registered under sections 365 by ASI police station Aabpara, Muhammad Shafeeq. Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists strongly condemned the abduction of Abraham and urges authorities to recover Abraham as he is a heart and diabetic patient, PFUJ’s president Butt demanded from the government to recover immediately else they will do protest within the country. Khawar Abbas Shah, bureau chief of Bol News Lahore told PPF the case is in court and chief justice Amir Farooq has summoned the police high-ups to advise about the whereabouts of Abraham. Speaking to PPF, Ali Raza, brother of Sami Abraham said that today in the first half of the court proceedings chief justice summoned the Station house officer of Aabpara police station Khalid Javed and directed him to register the FIR as well and also asked the secretary of the interior ministry and DIG federal investigative agency (FIA) to produce Abraham in the court. “DIG FIA and secretary interior told the court that they need two days to collect all the data and CCTV footage of the service road of Seventh Avenue as Abraham is not in the custody of FIA and not in any police station of Islamabad, to chief justice Amir Farooq said that they have to produce all the data in the second half of the court proceeding also chief justice directed SHO to register the FIR and start the process of searching Abraham” Raza told “In the second half of the proceeding, DIG FIA and the interior secretary did not produce any data and granted two days to collect all the CCTV footage and the clue about Abraham” Raza added. The next court proceeding will be on May 29, 2023, and in the next court hearing police will call the driver of Abraham and I, for which we will visit the police station by today probably, Raza said. Mr. Raja Amir Abbas, the legal counsel of journalist Sami Ibrahim and speaking to PPF said, when Ibrahim was abducted by 4 unidentified cars on the night of 24 May, his family and I immediately went to police station Aabpara to lodge the FIR but the station house officer did not lodge the FIR instead he wrote an application on the behalf of Ibrahim's brother Ali Raza, after which we have filed writ petition in Islamabad High Court on May 25, 2023, on which chief justice Islamabad High Court, Amir Farooq issued notices to summon DIG FIA, SHO Aabpara police station, secretary interior and high-up officials from ISI and MI agencies. Moreover, he said after a day on May 26, 2023, DIG FIA, secretary of the interior, and SHO said they did not know where is Ibrahim as he is not in any prison or police station in Islamabad however, they said it could be possible that Ibrahim is in the custody of ISI or MI and after the prayers of Jummah, chief justice summons ISI and MI officials in the court and asked about the whereabouts of Sami Ibrahim and they also said Ibrahim is not in the custody of ISI or MI. Also, the chief justice directed SHO Aabpara to register the proper FIR and submit the FIR in the court which they presented in the second half of the proceeding. On this point, I argued with the court and requested the chief justice to trace all three mobile phones of Sami Ibrahim which the abductors took with them, and investigate from all four provinces of Ibrahim whether any case was registered on him from any province to which chief justice directed SSP, Masood Ahmed to investigate and interrogate all the police stations from all the provinces and submit the report on May 29, 2023. The court is adjourned till May 29, 2023. "

Category of Incident

Kidnapping

ICCS Status

ICCS Divisions: 0803-Acts related to freedom of expression or control of expression

ICCS Group: 08039-Other acts related to freedom of expression or control of expression

ICCS Class: N/A

ICCS Crime: Acts related to freedom of expression or control of expression

Reported By

Dawn

Date of incident

23

Month

May

Year

2023

Name of affected person

Sami Ibrahim

Other affected persons

Not other person affected

Name of affected organization

Bol News

Other affected organizations

No other organization was affected

Action by

By the unidentified people

City

Islamabad

Province

Capital Territory

Designation

Host

Professional category

Journalist

Age of victim

50

Marital Status

Compensation Details

Amount of compensation announced by government: No compensation announced

Date of compensation announcement by government: No compensation announced

Date of compensation paid by government: No compensation announced

Amount of compensation announced by others: No compensation announced

Date of compensation announced by others: No compensation announced

Date compensation paid by others: No compensation announced

FIR Details

Was FIR registered ?: Yes

Date of FIR: 24/05/2023

FIR Details: FIR number is 445/23

Police station of FIR: Police station Aabpara, Islamabad.

Name of complainant: Ali Raza

Name of accused in FIR: Unidentified

Court Details

Was case investigated ?: Yes

Court where case was presented: Islamabad High Court

Name of prosecuting lawyer: Raja Amir Abbas

Date of first court hearing: 25/05/2023

Date of last court hearing: 29/05/2023

Status of court case: Chief justice Amir Farooq directed police officials to trace the all three mobile phones of sami Ibrahim and present the report from for provnces if any case was register against Ibrahim.

Journalist Union Status

PFUJ

Not required to contact

APNS

N/A

CPNE

N/A

PBA

N/A

Media Source Status

Media reports:

Condemn Status

Colleague of victim

Not required to contact

Employer organization

Not required to contact

Press Club Status

Press club 1: Not required to contact

Press club 2: N/A

Press club 3: N/A