The Lahore High Court (LHC) has instructed the police to locate the missing YouTuber and artist Aun Ali Khosa by August 20. The court’s directive comes amidst concerns following Khosa’s abduction by unidentified armed men late Wednesday night.
A petition filed by Khosa’s wife, Binish Iqbal, says that her husband is being held unlawfully by law enforcement authorities. The petition raises fears for Khosa’s safety and suggests that he may be a victim of enforced disappearance.
Justice Shahbaz Ali Rizvi, who presided over the petition, has ordered the Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Lahore to produce Khosa in court by the specified date.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Lahore, Faisal Kamran, has said that the police had not received any formal complaints regarding Khosa’s abduction. He added that an investigation will be launched once a formal complaint is filed.
Lahore Abduction
The petition details that Khosa, a well-known digital content creator with 137,000 YouTube subscribers, was forcibly taken from his apartment by a dozen police officers and individuals in plain clothes. The armed men reportedly broke down his door, confiscated his phone, laptop, computer system, digital camera and departed in a Fortuner and a Black Revo double-cabin vehicle.
A solicitor who attempted to follow the abductors was manhandled and pushed into a Black Vigo before the vehicles drove away. The solicitor reportedly inquired about the reason for the detention but received no explanation.
On August 15, Khosa’s brother, Ali Sher Khosa, urged the public to pray for his safe return and to raise awareness about the incident. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed concern over the possible connection between the abduction and Khosa’s work as a satirist. Khosa had recently released a song titled “Bill Bill Pakistan” on his YouTube channel, which addressed issues of high electricity bills. The song has since been deleted.
The YouTuber is known for his satirical videos and criticism of the current occupied-government on social media. The HRCP has called for his immediate recovery, highlighting the incident’s troubling implications for freedom of expression in Pakistan.