Islamabad, Feb 24 (NationPress) The authorities in Lahore are currently at a standstill regarding the location of a Canadian citizen, who was reportedly abducted on February 19, as per local media updates.

Hamza Ahmad Khan, a Canadian individual pursuing doctoral research, vanished in the early hours of February 19 after departing from his residence in Lahore, as detailed in the First Information Report (FIR) filed at the police station, according to Pakistan's prominent daily, Dawn.

The FIR was initiated following a complaint filed by Khan's friend, Yousuf Rasheed, who stated that Ahmad arrived in Pakistan on February 13 to focus on his PhD thesis and was residing with him in DHA. He noted that Ahmad utilized a ride-hailing service to leave at some point between 1 am and 2 am on February 19, and has not been seen since.

Rasheed informed the police that they made efforts to locate Ahmad independently, but their search was unsuccessful, leading them to suspect he may have been kidnapped. He urged the authorities to take legal action against those involved in the alleged abduction.

In an interview with Dawn, Ahmad’s sibling, Awais Ahmad Khan, mentioned that the family sought information from the ride-hailing service regarding the trip, claiming the ride was canceled midway. He elaborated that his brother dropped a female passenger at her residence before heading home, but he never arrived.

Awais confirmed they possess CCTV footage showing the location where Hamza Ahmad Khan dropped off the girl and subsequently left, yet he did not return home. He expressed frustration that the cab company has not shared any details with them, although they promised to provide information to law enforcement if they were contacted; however, no police representative has reached out to the company.

Awais Ahmad Khan asserted that the police have been uncooperative with the family. He revealed that they plan to enlist the aid of the Canadian embassy to lodge a formal complaint, and are contemplating filing a petition in court to locate Hamza Ahmad Khan, as reported by Dawn. He noted that while he resides in the US, the family originally hails from Karachi, where their parents currently live.

Senior Superintendent of Police (Investigation) Muhammad Naveed commented that investigators have yet to ascertain the whereabouts of Hamza Ahmad Khan, stating, "We are still in the dark regarding the location of the missing individual," adding that police have gathered initial information from the complainant and the ride-hailing service.