Mystery behind Disappearance of Pakistani Citizen in Nepal
By Sajjad Shaukat
According to his family, a Pakistani citizen, Lieutenant Colonel (R) Muhammad Habib Zahir who went to Nepal 
looking for a job has been disappeared. Lt. Col. (R) Zahir left for Nepal on April 5 and the next day reached the country’s capital, Kathmandu. Thereon he went to Lumbini, which is about six kilometres from the Indian border.
The disappearance of Lt. Col. (R) Zahir in Nepal cannot be seen in isolation, as Indian secret agency RAW may be involved in his abduction.
Past experience proves that India has continued interventionist and hegemonic policies vis-à-vis her neighbours through RAW. Besides supporting separatism in East Pakistan which resulted in dismemberment of Pakistan and continued assistance to the separatist elements of Pakistan’s Balochistan province, New Delhi occupied Sikkim, subdued Bhutan, sponsored terrorism in Sri Lanka, and has been teasing Nepal.
Regarding the disappearance of Lt. Col (R) Muhammad Habib Zahir in Nepal, Nepalese magazine “Swaviman Nepal” also covered his abduction under the caption, “Mysterious Missing of Pakistani Citizen,” which is being translated in English here.
On 6 April 2017, from Lurnbini airport which falls in Bhairahawa municipality of Rupandehi district, Col Retd Muhammad Habib, a Pakistani citizen had disappeared.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office has informed the media that the Government of Pakistan has token up the matter with the Nepalese government through diplomatic channels. Even after passing of two months there is yet no information from the Government of Nepal.
India is using Nepalese territory for leveling its scores with its opponents. Uncontrolled abductions of foreigners from Nepalese territory by Indian intelligence suggests that Nepal is no more a safe tourist resort and anybody could be abducted or killed by Indian sleuths RAW hand.
It has been suspected that Indian intelligence is involved in Pakistani citizen’s kidnapping from Nepal while India is portraying total ignorance from this mysterious disappearance which is a blatant lie.
Mr. Muhammad Habib is a Pakistani citizen who is retired from Army in 2014 and was working in a private company. After retirement he applied for job in different international companies from where opposition picked up his bio data and hatched a conspiracy to trap him by offering a UN affiliated job in Nepal.
In this conspiracy, some fake websites, twitter accounts and computer generated cell numbers were used which in fact were being operated from India.
An individual who introduced himself as Thomson had contacted Mr. Habib from UK based cell number. And, informed him to appear for in an interview for UN job in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Later Mr Habib Zahir was informed that his interview would be in Lumbini as the UN funded project is being launched there.
Mr. Habib reached Kathmandu on 6 April 2017 through Oman Airline while Business class ticket was also sponsored by same fake job Provider Company. After reaching Kathmandu on April 6, he left for Lumbini through Buddha Airline the same day.
India has presented false excuses on arrest of Indian serving RAW officer Mr. Kulbhushan Jadav from Baluchistan who was involved in running terrorist networks at Pakistani soil for terrorist activities across the country.
Indian RAW hatched a conspiracy to kidnap Mr. Habib from Nepal to counter Jadav’s arrest. Indian media falsely blamed that after Habib’s disappearance Pakistan military court awarded death sentence to Jadav and Pakistan was about to execute Mr. Jadav.
It is deliberate attempt by India to Show to the World that Nepal is not safe. India has added another controversy and conflict by abducting Pakistani retired officer using Nepalese soil.
Earlier Kashmir issue is the major dispute between the two countries; India forcibly annexed and seized Jammu and Kashmir in 1948 against the wishes of the people of Kashmir. This new trend of abduction which India started will further damage peace in the region.
The SAARC summit which was going to be held in Pakistan last year was postponed due to Indian refusal to participate in it which is an indication that India is not interested in solving issues to make the region peaceful.
Nepal Police remained ignorant from its duties after Habib’s disappearance from Nepal and had taken no significant action for his recovery which provides enough proof of Indian involvement in abduction.
Nepalese officials remain tight lipped over the ongoing investigations to trace the whereabouts of the missing Pakistan national who had been invited for a job interview in Lumbini, in Southern part of Nepal, which borders Indian Province of Uttar Pradesh.
Unofficially Nepalese Officials say that Habib is no more in Nepalese territory and he had been abducted by intelligence agencies of India and due to Indian influence they can’t do anything. It is a terrible fact that the birthplace of Buddha was used to abduct a Pakistani national. This was also a big jolt to Pakistan’s decades-old friendly relations with Nepal, but fortunately Pakistan has not added fuel to fire and acted in a very responsible manner.
It is also deliberate effort to show that Nepal is not safe and anybody can be targeted by Indian sleuths who roam freely in Nepalese territory and can kill with no accountability. Nepal has been a big attraction for tourists across the world due to Hindu and Buddhist heritage.
The disappearance of any foreign national from Nepalese soil is not only a great Challenge to security system but also failure of diplomacy of Nepal.
Nepal has remained a silent spectator over this mysterious disappearance which is a very negative sign for a sovereign country.
On border issues between Pakistan and India, Nepal has followed a neutral policy but in this case it would be very difficult for Nepal to remain silent because Nepalese soil has been used.
It is the legal right of the affected party to ask for recovery of their national. In this case Nepal is showing shameful weakness which is a great failure of Nepal’s security apparatus and foreign policy.
The disappearance of foreign nationals from Nepalese soil indicates that Nepal’s southern neighbor (India) is involved in this criminal activity.
It is very unfortunate that our southern neighbor has used Nepalese soil to fulfill her malicious ambitions against Nepal’s friendly countries. This incident has shown clearly that Nepalese security mechanism has been hijacked.
No one gives permission to India to use our land in conflicts with Pakistan. The matter of great concern is why Nepal government is found least concerned on naked Indian interference at Nepalese soil?
It would be very embarrassing situation for Nepal if India tomorrow claims Habib’s arrest from Nepalese soil then how Nepal will respond this awkward situation which is likely to endanger the country’s sovereignty.
Nepal has adopted a policy of silent spectator while other countries have made Nepal a play ground of international conspiracies.
First of all Nepal should dear her position that she is not serving the interests of others and should review its internal and foreign policy to get free Nepal from foreign subjugation and should adopt neutral policy for all in practice.
It is notable that the wife of Col (R) Zahir Habib also wrote a letter to the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHRCP) about the disappearance of her husband in Nepal, as given below:-
Respected Members,
I am once again writing to the “Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights” with the hope that “Humanity is still alive” and I along with my children are not living in a “lawless world” with no justice and compassion.
My earlier request on subject received by your office on 18 April 2017, perhaps, went un-noticed and I have not been acknowledged or contacted nor any effort to recover my loving husband materialized. However, still believing in the power of law and my complete trust on United Nations, I am again submitting my case far genuine and sympathetic consideration.
My husband (father of my three children) is missing from “Lumbini” a border town of Nepal since 6th April 2017, where, he was called for a job interview by Mr. Mark Thomson (senior Recruiter) of “Stratsolutions.biz”. Since then I along with my children are suffering great agony fearing something may not go drastically wrong with Habib Zahir.
I have already registered his absence with Government of Pakistan as per legal procedure and learnt that there are very convincing indications of involvement of Indian nationals in my husband’s mysterious disappearance from Nepal and evidences collected so far strongly suggest incident as a premeditated kidnap plot. I once again request your office to kindly intervene and help me locate my husband.
However, mystery behind disappearance of the Pakistani Citizen, Lt. Col (R) Muhammad Habib Zahir in Nepal will remain because of the fact that he was kidnapped by RAW who also wants to create rift between Pak-Nepal ties and China-Nepal relations.
