ISLAMABAD: Human rights activist Asma Jahangir and representatives of the Pak-Turk School’s parents association on Tuesday demanded that the government unmask those involved in the abduction of Mesut Kacmaz and his family and take immediate steps for their release.

Addressing a press conference at the National Press Club, Ms Jahangir said that if the government wanted to improve the standard of democracy, it has to provide protection to all former Turkish teachers and employees of the Pak-Turk schools and colleges living in Pakistan with permission from UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency.

Referencing atrocities by Indian forces against Kashmiri Muslims and by the Burmese government against Rohingya Muslims, Ms Jahangir added that Turkish teachers who fear coercion by the Turkish government deserved equal attention.

She said it was not fair not to raise a voice for Turkish teachers who had done nothing wrong in Pakistan, and had educated Pakistani children, because the Turkish government was also Muslim.

She said the kidnapping of Mesut Kacmaz and his family was an alarming incident, and the state would have to come forward to recover the family.

Turkish Pak-Turk school employees had UNHCR’s permission to stay in country until Nov 23

Mr Kacmaz, his wife and their two daughters were abducted from Lahore’s Wapda Town last week. Ms Jahangir said that according to eyewitness accounts, the kidnappers travelled in vehicles that had revolving lights fixed to the roof and included women.

She added that there are clear apprehensions that, if the teachers are deported to Turkey, they will face political victimisation by their government.

“[The abducted family had] the UNHCR’s permission [to stay] until Nov 23, and the government, through the attorney general, had undertaken before the court last year that the Turkish employees in question would not be deported until Nov 24, 2017,” she said.

Ms Jahangir said there was a likelihood that the family would be deported to Turkey; a step that would be in contempt of court.

A case has already been filed in the Lahore High Court, she said, adding that she is expects that the abducted family will be produced before the court at the next hearing on Friday.

The Pak-Turk schools used to be administered by a foundation the Turkish government claims is linked to Fethullah Gulen, who has been accused by the Turkish government of sponsoring an failed coup in July 2016.

After the attempted coup, the Turkish government cracked down on Mr Gulen’s alleged religious and educational network, including the Pak-Turk schools. Last year, the Pakistani government did not extend the visas of Turkish teachers working at these schools and ordered them to leave the country at the request of the Turkish government.

A total of 108 Turkish employees of the 28 schools and colleges applied for asylum with the UNHCR, and according to parents and human rights activists, were allowed to live in Pakistan until Nov 23, 2017.

In their applications to the UNHCR, the employees expressed fears of arrest, coercion and torture by the Turkish government if forcibly deported by the Pakistani government.

A representative of the parents association, Zahid Khan, said Turkish teachers had never been involved in any wrongdoing in Pakistan, and had instead taught thousands of Pakistani students.

He said talks that Maarif Foundation, an NGO, will take over the schools in Pakistan are ongoing.

“If the Pakistan or Turkish government want to take over control of the schools, then the Maarif Foundation should be given administrative control of government-run schools,” he said, adding that there are no education standards at public schools and the NGO should be given a chance to improve government-run schools.

He added that the Pakistani government was adamant to deport former Pak-Turk employees back to Turkey to appease the Erdogan government. Along with other parents, he demanded the government take steps for the immediate recovery of the abducted Turkish family.

Speaking on political matters, Ms Jahangir said the passage of the Election Act was the right of the government, and there was no weight to the opposition’s stance that they had no information on the bill.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2017