Responding to a media query regarding Indian media reports/tweets claiming that Col Habib is in Indian custody and speculations about a swap with Commander Jadhav, Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal stated that Lt Col Habib Zahir (retd) is a retired Pakistani officer who went missing in Nepal where he had gone for a job interview in April 2017.
The spokesperson added that according to Zahir's family, he had posted his CV on LinkedIn and UN website for a job. In response, he received a call and email from one Mark stating that he had been short-listed for the job of vice-president.
He said that the retired military officer was asked to visit Kathmandu, Nepal, for which he was sent an air-ticket for Lahore-Oman-Kathmandu by Oman Airlines for an interview on 6 April 2017.
After landing in Nepal, which he visited for the first time in his life, he left Kathmandu airport (from where he had WhatsApped his pictures and boarding pass to his family), for Lumbini airport by Buddha Air.
At 1300 hours on 6 April 2017, he messaged his wife from his cellphone intimating that he had landed safely at Lumbini (a municipality 5 kilometers from the Indian border) after which his mobile appeared switched off and his family lost contact with him.
He stated that investigations revealed that the UK cell number of Mark was a fake and actually was an internet/computer generated number. The website that he was contacted from was found to be operated from India and was subsequently taken down, he added.
He stated that the government of Nepal constituted a special team to look into his disappearance but there has not been any progress in the matter so far.
In view of his disappearance from Lumbini, which is 5 kilometers from the Indian border and the involvement of Indian nationals (who reportedly received him at Lumbini, made his hotel reservations and booked his tickets), he stated that Pakistan also repeatedly requested the government of India to assist in locating him.
However, no positive response has been received from the Indian side, he said, adding that the family of Zahir is very distressed and also approached the UN Working Group on Enforced Involuntary Disappearances in Geneva for assistance in locating him. His disappearance has also been reported in the media, including outside Pakistan, he added.
"As stated earlier, Pakistan maintains that the involvement of hostile agencies cannot be ruled out. The government continues to make all-out efforts to locate him and shall not rest until he is home", the spokesperson added.