In an extremely shocking and heart-rending incident six Pakistanis were killed by Turkish ransom mafia today.
The Kurdhish and Afghan groups kidnapped six innocent Pakistanis in Istanbul and later killed them
The Pakistani organizations in Istanbul condemned the incident and protested against the apathy of Pakistan’s embassy over the incident.
Two of the slain men belonged to Gujranwala, while four other could not be identified.Another six Pakistanis were were got released by the law enforcing agencies of Turkey after a disturbing footage, which was sent to his family, reportedly shows one of six Pakistani citizens who were held by Afghan-Turk kidnappers in Istanbul.
The six migrants, from Gujranwala and Wazirabad, were travelling to Europe on a Turkish vessel when they were intercepted and abducted.
A man who is believed to be one of the migrants is shown handcuffed as he begs for his life in the grotesque footage which emerged online.
He can be seen kneeling on the floor, while topless and covered in blood, and is repeatedly beaten with his hair pulled by several other men who don’t come fully into the shot.The video was reportedly sent to the relatives of the kidnapped men – named by Pakistani authorities as Afzal Ameen, Adil Ahmed, Muhammad Zeeshan, Usman Ali and Abshar Ahmed – in a bid to extort money from them.
The violent kidnappers reportedly demanded one million Pakistani rupees (£7,700) for each man, according to the News International.
The six men were eventually rescued and another video, showing them men enjoying a meal together, was released.
On Tuesday Pakistan’s Foreign Office said the government was aware of the media reports regarding the kidnapping of the six men.A spokesman in a statement said the diplomats in Istanbul and Ankara had taken the necessary measures to inform the Turkish authorities, who were fully cooperating.
The spokesman said: “The Turkish police authorities have confirmed to the Consulate General of Pakistan in Istanbul that after necessary action today, they have rescued the six Pakistanis.
“The Turkish authorities are now completing the legal formalities to deal with the case. The consulate officials are in contact with the police authorities and have sought access to the rescued Pakistanis.”
Research by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) found that almost three-quarters of migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean have experienced exploitation and human trafficking.The group said practices occurring with “alarming scare and frequency” included forced labour, imprisonment, kidnapping, ransom and physical and sexual abuse.
In 2015, it was estimated that 850,000 people, mostly Syrians but also Afghans, Iraqis and others, used Turkey as a launching point for dangerous journeys to Greece.
The report, which was published last October, found almost half of the men, women and children rescued in the Central Mediterranean said they had been imprisoned for ransom during their journey towards Europe, most commonly in Libya.
However, the research found migrants journeying via Libya are between seven and 10 times more likely to be abused than those reaching Europe from Turkey, with the likelihood of exploitation rising with the time they spend in transit at the mercy of smugglers.
