Two freed bloggers who vanished this month leave Pakistan: relatives

ISLAMABAD: Two Pakistani bloggers who went missing earlier this month have left the country, relatives claimed on Monday.

Waqas Goraya and Asim Saeed were among five men who went missing from various cities in Pakistan recently.

Their disappearances triggered nationwide protests and raised concerns of government involvement – claims denied by officials.

Liaqat Ali Goraya, the father of blogger Waqas Goraya, confirmed that his son was safe and had left the country. But his nephew Abdur Rahman Cheema, whose disappearance at the same time as his son was not reported to the media was still missing.

“Waqas has gone, we’ve sent him abroad,” said his father, declining to comment on who had held him. Before he went missing, Goraya was based in The Netherlands and had returned to Pakistan for a family wedding.

A source close to the family of blogger Asim Saeed confirmed he too had left the country.

Salman Haider, poet and rights activist who went missing from the federal capital also reached his home last week on Friday night.

Brother also confirmed media reports that “Salman has safely returned home”.