‘Missing’ Pakistani national Syed Fawad Ali no longer in Malaysia, says home minister 

KAJANG, Jan 3 — Pakistani national Syed Fawad Ali, who is said to have gone missing while in Malaysia, was repatriated on the third week of August last year, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said.

He said the government at the time had acted based on diplomatic channels that detected Syed Fawad’s whereabouts in Malaysia and requested his repatriation to Islamabad.

“Syed Fawad Ali, he is a Pakistan national and had been in Malaysia for 10 years and his stay here drew the Pakistani government’s attention to request us to trace his whereabouts and then send him back.

“This was (a request made) through the Pakistan government to our government at the time, not now.

“The Unity Government is only one month old. This was done much earlier, in August. That is a fact,” Saifuddin told reporters during a press conference at the Prison Department Headquarters here when asked about Syed Fawad’s status.

Saifuddin went on to explain that Syed Fawad might be known as a journalist in the media, but to Pakistani authorities, he is a former police officer with several disciplinary issues.

“This (information) I’m quoting from a Pakistani source which was sent to us.

“Although he is a former police officer, he has good writing abilities. Much of his writing criticised the government, and that is why he has been portrayed as a journalist.

“But officially, he is a former police officer in Pakistan,” Saifuddin said, adding that he only received information on this case about a week ago.

It was reported that Syed Fawad worked as a journalist and is known for exposing corrupt practices in Pakistan.

He reportedly fled to Malaysia in 2009 seeking refuge and protection.

On December 30, 2022, the Syed Fawad’s wife, who only wished to be known as Syeda, made a request to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to help locate her husband who has been missing since August 23.

Syeda, who is also a Pakistani national, wanted to find out what had happened to her husband who carried a UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) refugee card.