YouTuber Aun Ali Khosa, who was reportedly abducted on August 15, has safely returned home, according to his lawyers on Monday.
The Lahore High Court (LHC) had instructed the Lahore police to recover Khosa by August 20. Prior to this, his wife, Binish Iqbal, had filed a petition claiming that her husband was being held unlawfully by law enforcement authorities. She expressed concern for his safety and suspected he had been subjected to enforced disappearance.
The petition detailed that Khosa, a digital content creator, writer, and comedian with a substantial following of 137,000 YouTube subscribers, was taken from his apartment at 2 a.m. on August 15. The petition alleged that a group of heavily armed men, including masked individuals in plain clothes, forcibly entered his apartment by breaking down the door. They seized his phone, laptop, computer system, and digital camera.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) had voiced concern over Khosa’s abduction, fearing it might be connected to his work as a satirist, and had called for his immediate release.
Late Monday night, Khosa’s lawyer, Khadija Siddiqi, announced on X, “Alhamdulillah, Aun Ali Khosa has been released! He has reached home!” Another lawyer, Mian Ali Ashfaq, confirmed Khosa’s return, noting that Khosa is safe and determined.
Ashfaq also expressed gratitude for Siddiqi’s support and representation, and praised Khosa’s resilience.
Siddiqi, in a separate post on X, criticized the recurring pattern of abductions, describing how kidnappers use similar tactics—breaking in during the night, removing surveillance equipment, and confiscating electronic devices. She expressed hope that such practices would cease, advocating for legal proceedings against those responsible.
