Canadian national researching 'anti-imperialist politics' goes missing in Pakistan

Lahore: A Canadian national who came to Pakistan this month to conduct doctoral research on 'anti-imperialist politics' has gone missing in Lahore city, police said on Sunday.

Lahore police have registered a kidnapping case against "unidentified suspects" on the complaint of Yousuf Rashid, a friend of Canadian citizen Hamza Ahmad Khan.

"Khan had arrived in Pakistan to work on his PhD thesis (anti-imperialist politics) on Feb 13 and he was staying with me in the Defence Housing Authority. Khan left the house on the night of Feb 19 after booking a ride to go somewhere and did not return. Unidentified men might have kidnapped him," Rashid told police.


Lahore Deputy Inspector General Faisal Kamran said police are investigating the case from all aspects. "We are also probing whether the missing scholar's research work has something to do with his kidnapping," he said.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed serious concern over the kidnapping of the Canadian national.

"We are gravely concerned by reports that Hamza Ahmed Khan, a student of political science at the University of Toronto, has gone missing. Mr Khan was visiting Pakistan for field research, and colleagues in Lahore have alleged that he was abducted by unidentified persons on 19 February. The authorities must trace Mr Khan's whereabouts immediately and ensure that he is recovered and returns home safely," the HRCP posted on social media.

Political activist Ammar Ali Jan said he recently met Khan in Lahore. "Khan worked on anti-imperialist politics. Yesterday, Hamza was abducted in Lahore as this regime is waging a relentless attack on dissent," Jan said.

The Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan, an ally of Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), in a post on X said the right to pursue academic research and express scholarly views are fundamental in a democratic society.

"Silencing researchers through harassment or forced absence undermines intellectual freedom. It will weaken institutions, and that Hamza Khan deserves fairness, safety, and the opportunity to continue his academic work without fear," it said.