I’m going to devote my column today to, Ibrahim Seruwagi, a young exchange student from Uganda who was robbed off his years of university education in Turkey when he got caught up in the persecution by the Erdoğan government. He was only a month away from graduating from medical school.
The Pak-Turk Parents Association on Wednesday demanded an immediate release of the former principal of Pak-Turk School Mesut Kacmaz, who, along with his family, was reportedly kidnapped by unknown people from his residence in Wapda Town a little over two weeks ago.
“The police are expressing ignorance about the picking up of Mr. Mesut, so who did this?” asked Muhammed Zubair, a doctor whose children attended the PakTurk school in Peshawar and who represents the parent-teacher association. “This is a dangerous trend and will send a negative image of Pakistan abroad.”
Despite promises by Nazarbaev not to return Turkish citizens to Turkey, the country’s bureaucracy is throwing up roadblocks to make it possible to stay in Kazakhstan. Political scientist Aidos Sarim accuses low-level bureaucrats of failing to follow Nazarbaev’s orders.
President Erdogan is urging many countries, including Pakistan, to close these schools and deport the Turkish staff. So far, only four out of 176 countries, where international Turkish schools are located, have given a positive response to Erdogan’s demand.
The Senate Committee on Human Rights (HRs) of Pakistan on Thursday took up the issue of the disappeared Turkish family working for Pak-Turk Schools from Lahore and decided to summon relevant officials of federal and provincial governments in its next meeting.
It is a shameful way to thank those [Turkish teachers] who have worked hard to teach our children and spread quality education. All these people have been living in Pakistan legally and have been contributing to our society through their educational services. We should treat them with the respect and honour that they deserve.
Freedom To Kacmaz Family and Release Kacmaz Family became trends on social media in Pakistan on Saturday and Sunday. Demand for the release of Turkish teacher and his family is increasing day by day and civil society of Pakistan is protesting against abduction of Turk teacher Mesut Kacmaz and his family from their house in Lahore last week.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has called for the immediate release of Mesut Kaçmaz, the former principal of a Turkish school in Pakistan, and his family, who were reportedly abducted by Pakistani police in Lahore in the early hours of Wednesday.
Last year’s failed coup against Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan resulted in a crackdown on scholars and universities, and has divided the nation’s diaspora. Intense polarisation of Turkish diaspora, plus online harassment, means refugee scholars feel they are being watched.
Former director of Pak-Turk Schools in Pakistan Mesut Kaçmaz and his family were reportedly kidnapped in Lahore on Wednesday, the Daily Pakistan reported. Another person, Fatih Avcı, who was also abducted and later released, said their heads were covered with bags.