KARACHI: Twelve Pakistani youths have gone missing while attempting to travel abroad through illegal channels, commonly known as “donkey.”
Their families have appealed to the government for urgent assistance, alleging that the young men have been kidnapped and are being held for ransom.
According to the families, seven of the missing individuals are from the Batapur area of Lahore, including three cousins named Dilshad, Osama, and Waqas.
The families stated that an agent named Amir took millions of rupees and promised to facilitate their illegal journey. While the youths managed to contact their families after reaching Iran, all communication was subsequently lost.
The situation turned dire when the families began receiving distressing videos from Waqas’s mobile number, showing the young men in a critical state with chains around their necks, tearfully pleading for ransom payments.
The families reported that they had already paid an initial sum of 1 million PKR per person, but the captors are now demanding an additional 6,000 USD for the release of each individual, accompanying their demands with threats of severe consequences if the money is not paid.
The affected families have filed a formal complaint with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), demanding the safe recovery of their loved ones and immediate legal action against the agent involved, who is reportedly a resident of the same area.
