March 04, 2025
Iqra Manzoor
LAHORE
Hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the Mirpurkhas Press Club on Tuesday to demand justice for Parkash Kachi Kolhi, a young Hindu trader who disappeared near the Wagah Border in Lahore on February 21. Kolhi was traveling to India with eight other family members.
The protest, organized by Kolhi’s family and civil society activists, highlights the growing concern over enforced disappearances in Pakistan. Meanwhile a petition of habeas corpus under Section 491 of the Criminal Procedure Code has been filed in the Sindh High Court’s Mirpurkhas bench.
Kolhi’s sister, Dr. Nirmila Kachi, who was also with him at the Wagah Border, shared a harrowing account of her 32-year-old brother’s disappearance. In an interview with Voicepk, Dr Kachi recalled how she and eight family members, including Parkash, were traveling to India for a religious festival when he was approached by unidentified persons in civilian clothes at the Wagah border immigration office in Lahore, and was taken away.
“Between 10 and 11 am, around eight to 10 men came and took Parkash to another room of the immigration office,” she claimed. When she inquired about the reason, the men confiscated their mobile phones too and ordered her to leave the immigration office. Dr. Kachi waited outside the office until 6 pm, pleading for information about her brother, but was provided with none.
Tie to India
According to Dr Nirmila, Parkash had been married four years ago and his wife lived in India. He had no children. She said however that they had no intention to quit Pakistan as their father was employed in the Sindh Health department.
Weeks have passed since Parkash’s disappearance, and his family remains in the dark about his whereabouts or the reason for his detention. Dr. Nirmala emphasized that her brother has no criminal record, is apolitical, and has even worked with the World Health Organization (WHO) on polio campaigns in Sindh. The family owns land and Parkash runs a small-scale business selling spices and
cotton.
She says their mother is reportedly distraught, refusing to eat until her son is returned to her safely. Despite their pleas, no government official has contacted the family, leaving them feeling neglected and helpless.
Social activist Faqir Shiva Kachi has condemned the abduction of Parkash Kachi Kolhi especially in the presence of many CCTV cameras in the immigration office. Kachi emphasized that Pakistan’s constitution prohibits the enforced disappearance of citizens and argued that even if someone is suspected of a crime, they should be produced in court, and evidence should be presented to support the allegations. Kachhi deemed Kolhi’s abduction ‘highly condemnable’ and urged the government, Director-General of Inter-Services Intelligence (DG ISI), and the Chief of Army Staff to take immediate notice and ensure Kolhi’s safe release.
Kachi highlighted the struggles faced by minorities in Pakistan, citing the forced marriages of underage daughters, disappearances of youth, and daylight murders. He emphasized that the Sindh-Hindu community is peaceful and law-abiding, with Kolhi and his family having no criminal record. Kachhi demanded Kolhi’s immediate release and vowed to continue protesting nationally and internationally until he is safely returned.
The incident has sparked widespread concern among human rights activists and minority communities in Pakistan, who are calling for greater protection and accountability from the government.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed grave concern over the alleged abduction of Prakash, a Pakistani Hindu citizen, who was taken by unidentified persons near Wagah on February 21. The HRCP is demanding that authorities immediately recover Prakash and, at the minimum, inform his family of his whereabouts.