Pakistani journalist Anas Mallick says he was physically assaulted during his disappearance. Mallick went missing on Thursday night. He returned safely on Friday morning after his short disappearance.
The Pakistan-based journalist Anas Mallick is associated with Indian News Channel, WION. He went to Kabul to cover the first anniversary of the takeover of the Afghan Taliban. Ambassador of Pakistan to Afghanistan, Masood Khan, on Friday morning informed about his safety.
WION News claims Mallick was abducted by the Taliban. In a video report, Anas told WION, “I was picked up yesterday by what we know are the Taliban in Kabul”.
“Twenty-one hours of the ordeal has finally come to an end,” he said. Mallick said that his associates, a local producer, and the driver were abducted and physically assaulted along with him.
His last report to WION News before his disappearance was on the killing of Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri.
Anas said that he was picked up while he and his team were filming general shots. The incident happened just a day after he arrived in Kabul. His landing in Kabul coincided with the attack on Zawahiri.
Update: My driver & Local Producer in Afghanistan have now also been released by Taliban authorities after keeping them under detention for 42hours. I was released yesterday after 21hours of detention by Taliban authorities. I am back and safe now – Thank you for all your prayers https://t.co/9PhUWfQL79
— Anas Mallick (@AnasMallick) August 6, 2022
#Update | The driver and the producer, who were helping WION correspondent @AnasMallick with the coverage in Afghanistan, have been released by the Taliban after 42 hours of detention pic.twitter.com/mlFo9MLZ2p
— WION (@WIONews) August 6, 2022
“We were intercepted, taken out of the car — dragged out of the car to be precise — our phones were taken away, and then we were assaulted — physically assaulted,” he said. “My crew was also assaulted and I was assaulted as well.”
Mallick continued: “After some while, we were shifted from the place where we were intercepted to what we know was the GDI, or the Grand Directory of Intelligence, the GDI unit of the Afghan Taliban.”
Read more: Missing Pakistani journalist in Kabul found
The journalist said he and his colleagues were questioned thoroughly on their journalistic credentials and even asked personal questions. The journalist said around 9.30 PM he was moved into a separate room and was told he would be released around in the morning.
Anas says despite having press credentials from Delhi he still does not have his press credentials and permission letter. In his report, he added that both his producer and the driver were still with the Taliban.
According to the latest development, both have been released by the Taliban.
Yesterday, Pakistan’s Foreign Office had taken up the issue with the Afghan authorities for his recovery. Spokesperson of Pakistan’s Foreign Office Asim Iftikhar said, “We at @ForeignOfficePk are deeply concerned about the disappearance of @AnasMallick, FO correspondent, from #Kabul yesterday. We are in touch with local authorities and @PakinAfg for his early and safe return to Pakistan,” on Friday.
Back in Pakistan calls were made for his safe recovery.