The household of a former director of the Turkish PakTurk Faculties in Pakistan was kidnapped by authorities within the jap metropolis of Lahore, the Human Rights Fee of Pakistan (HRCP) mentioned, lower than a yr after Pakistan sought to deport them.
Pakistan has cast shut ties with Turkey in recent times and President Tayyip Erdogan, who opposes the PakTurk Faculties, has made a number of state visits to Islamabad.
Turkey has accused the colleges of alleged hyperlinks to Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, or his “Hizmet” motion, which Erdogan says was behind a failed coup try in Turkey final yr.
PakTurk colleges deny such hyperlinks however in November final yr Pakistan ordered their Turkish academics to depart the nation.
HRCP mentioned Mesut Kacmaz, former director of the PakTurk Worldwide Faculties and Schools, was picked up on Wednesday by 20 armed people, in keeping with their Turkish neighbor who spoke to the rights group.
Kacmaz, his spouse, and two daughters have been, “roughed-up, hooded, handcuffed and brought in a wagon” to a “furnished home the place a number of different interrogators have been additionally current”, HRCP, a non-governmental group, mentioned in a press release late on Wednesday.
“HRCP urges the federal government to instantly launch the Kacmaz household and desist from deporting them. There are credible studies of different Turkish educationists being arrested upon their arrival in Turkey and their subsequent torture.”
The Punjab province’s police division didn’t reply to requests for remark.
HRCP mentioned the household has been residing in Pakistan for the previous yr on a sound United Nations’ asylum seeker certificates.
The faculties educate greater than 10,000 college students in Pakistan.
