A young Christian female teacher, Adeeba Amjad, abducted on May 16, 2023, from her residence in Pak Colony, Lassi Road, Hub, Baluchistan, has been denied the opportunity to reunite with her family by the court. Despite Adeeba’s expressed desire to return home, the court has ruled otherwise.

Adeeba, who, after passing her intermediate examinations, was employed as a teacher in a local private school in Hub, Baluchistan. The school, owned by businessman Muhammad Bashir, faced closure during the pandemic, leading to job losses for the teaching staff. To mitigate the impact, Bashir offered jobs in his other businesses, including medicine dealing and a motorbike showroom, to some of the redundant teachers, Adeeba among them.

In 2022, Adeeba’s parents arranged her engagement to a Christian young man. Following her engagement, Adeeba decided to resign from her job, despite concerns about her future in-laws’ acceptance of her decision.

Adeeba’s father, Amjad Masih, recounted the harrowing incident to Pak Christian News (PCN). On the fateful day of May 16, 2023, between 4:30 to 4:50 pm, Muhammad Bashir, Adeeba’s former employer, visited their home. Unfortunately, Adeeba opened the door, and Bashir, accompanied by an accomplice, forcibly abducted her, pushing her into a waiting car and driving away.

Amjad Masih, a father of five children, including two sons and three daughters, described Adeeba as a kind-hearted girl who cherished her engagement and was looking forward to her future with her fiancé.

Curiously, Bashir the kidnapper, is already married and a father of nine daughters and two sons. He had maintained a facade of treating Adeeba like a daughter. However, the situation took a sinister turn.

A First Information Report (FIR) under section 365-B was registered at the Bayroot Hub Police Station, District Lasbela, Baluchistan, on May 19, 2023. Unfortunately, the police have not made any substantial progress in locating Adeeba or ensuring her safe return to her family. Concerns have arisen over alleged police bias in favour of the kidnappers.

Shabbir Shafqat, Chairman of the National Christian Party, has been working alongside Adeeba’s family to seek her recovery. He voiced his concerns about the lack of progress in the case. Shafqat travelled from Karachi to Baluchistan on October 7, 2023, to visit the family and reaffirm his support for Adeeba’s recovery.

Speaking to PCN, Shafqat expressed his disappointment with the situation, noting that six months had passed since Adeeba’s abduction, with minimal effort from the police to secure her release. He highlighted that a church-based NGO initially assisted the family but subsequently withdrew its support.

Shafqat emphasized the importance of NGOs seeing cases through to the end, ensuring justice for the victims and their families. He revealed that Adeeba had contacted her family, expressing fear for her life if she attempted to return home.

The protracted ordeal continues as Adeeba’s family, along with concerned activists and organizations, tirelessly advocate for her safe return and justice against her abductors.