At least four activists known for their liberal views on social media have gone missing in Pakistan this week, according to relatives and workers of nongovernmental organizations.
A cybersecurity NGO said two of the men, Waqas Goraya and Asim Saeed, disappeared on January 4, while the relatives of Salman Haider said he vanished on Friday and Ahmed Raza Naseer on Saturday.
All four were active on social-media groups promoting left-wing, secularist views, often against the country's military and the conservative establishment.
Haider's brother told Al Jazeera that his family is worried about his health as he suffers from a medical condition called anaphylaxis.
"My brother's wife received a call late at night asking her to pick up Salman's car from an unknown location in Islamabad," Zeeshan Haider stated.
"We did find the car but could not see any sign of Salman. It's been four days now and we don't know who and why would anyone kidnap my brother."
Haider, a Pakistani university professor and poet, has been vocal on social media about human and minority rights and "terrorism" in Pakistan.
Whoever has picked up the 4 bloggers wants to send a message to everybody elseesp those vocal on social media on various issues
— omar r quraishi (@omar_quraishi) January 9, 2017
Haider has also been active in rallies and protests against disappearances of separatists from Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province.
Pakistan is routinely ranked among the world's most dangerous countries for journalists, and reporting critical of the military is considered a major red flag, with journalists at times detained, beaten and even killed.
The abductions have stirred debate in Pakistan's social media, with several prominent commentators and rights defenders weighing in and showing concern.
"The state has controlled TV and now they're focusing on digital spaces," said Raza Rumi, a writer and analyst who left Pakistan in 2014 after he was attacked by men who shot his driver dead.
Four rights activists, active on social media, "disappear" in Pakistan. At least one is outspoken on Balochistan. https://t.co/ECKpObtD92 pic.twitter.com/HOjQQ6ycVs
— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) January 8, 2017
Naseer, who suffers from polio, was taken from his family's shop in central Punjab province, his brother Tahir told AFP news agency on Sunday.
Waqas Goraya, who is usually a resident of the Netherlands, was picked up on January 4, as was Aasim Saeed, said Shahzad Ahmed, head of cyber-security NGO Bytes for All.
3 secular voices, Salman Haider, Ahmad Waqass Goraya & Aasim Saeed, who were critical of State's policies, have gone missing in last 3 days pic.twitter.com/AmS4tbvhq9
— Bilal Farooqi (@bilalfqi) January 7, 2017
"None of these activists have been brought to any court of law or levelled with any charges," Ahmed stated.
"Their status disappearance is very worrying not only for the families, but also for netizens and larger social media users in the country."
The opposition Pakistan's People's Party submitted on Monday a request in parliament, seeking an answer from the Interior Ministry on the disappearances, calling them a planned and coordinated crackdown to silence voices critical of state policies.
"No one has the right to be punished for what they believe in. My brother is kidnapped just because he said something a few people did not like," Zeeshan Haider stated.
Aljazeera