Political activist from Khan’s party reportedly abducted in Pakistan’s Peshawar

Sanam Javed, a prominent social media activist associated with Pakistan's opposition party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), was reportedly detained overnight in the northwestern city of Peshawar under unclear circumstances.

Party officials said it was unclear who took her or why.

PTI Secretary Information Sheikh Waqas Akram said Sanam’s car was intercepted late Monday night by two vehicles on a busy road in Peshawar. “The men forcibly pulled her out and took her away in front of her friends,” Akram said in a statement posted on social media.

An official police complaint, known as a First Information Report (FIR), was filed after the alleged abduction. Advocate Hira Babar, who said she was with Sanam at the time, lodged the complaint with the local police.

According to the FIR, the two had just finished dinner and were driving toward the city’s cantonment area when their car was blocked near the Civil Officers Mess. Five men reportedly stepped out, forcibly removed Sanam from the car, and took her away.

“We called out to the nearby security guards, but none came to help,” Babar said in her complaint.

The identity of those involved and the motive for the alleged abduction remain unclear. Authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province said an investigation was underway to determine who was responsible.

“The government will ensure a transparent probe, and those involved will be brought to justice according to the law,” a provincial spokesperson said.

Sanam has been a vocal supporter of PTI and former Prime Minister Imran Khan, whose party has faced widespread arrests and restrictions since violent clashes erupted after Khan’s arrest in May 2023.

On August 11, an anti-terrorism court in Lahore sentenced Sanam to five years in prison for her alleged involvement in the riots. Several PTI leaders were convicted in similar cases.

The court also ordered Sanam’s arrest and imprisonment. It was not immediately clear if her latest detention was related to that case.

Her sister, Falak Javed, was also detained weeks earlier by Pakistan’s National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). Authorities accused her of uploading fake videos targeting Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari.

Falak’s lawyer, Advocate Mian Ali Ashfaq, said she was taken into custody from an apartment in Islamabad.

The Federal Investigation Agency’s Cyber Crime Wing had registered a case against her in August 2024 after Bukhari lodged a complaint, alleging that doctored photos and videos of her were being circulated online.

Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, Advisor to CM KP on Information, condemned Sanam's alleged abduction, stating that her mysterious disappearance is deeply concerning and condemnable.

Barrister Saif said Sanam’s disappearance constitutes a blatant violation of the constitution and the law, stressing that extrajudicial actions would not be tolerated under any circumstances.