LAHORE: The PakTurk Schools and Colleges alumni demanded immediate release of a Turkish teacher and his family who were taken away f rom their Wapda Town residence on Sept 27.

The alumni of PakTurk schools held a press conference at the Lahore Press Club on Monday to make their demand. They said the Turkish teachers had dedicated their life for the cause of educadon in Pakistan and they were being punished for it.

They deplored that the FIR had not been registered despite the Lahore High Court`s order and they feared for the safety of the family.

Mesut Kacmez, a former director of the PakTurk Schools, his wife and two young daughters were `abducted` allegedly by 15 police personnel in civvies.

The Turkish teachers of the schools had sought asylum in Pakistan since the country revoked their visas on the requestof the Turkish government.

Turkey blamed US-based Fethullah Gulen for afailed coup in July 2016 and launched a crackdown against his supporters.

The Turkish government had claimed that the PakTurk schools were allegedly run by a foundation, linked to Gulen.

Speaking at the press conference, Osama Dastagir, a former student of the school, said the members of the PakTurk Alumni Association were concerned about the safety of their teachers and their families.

`It is shocking that a teacher was kidnapped in a way that seemed that he was some high-profile dangerous terrorist.

Dastagir said that according to the witnesses, Mr Mesut and his family were tortured by the people who raided his home in the wee hours before taking them away like criminals. He expressed grave concerns over the statement of the state security organs that denied having any knowledge of Mesut`s family.

The students held placards inscribed with slogans expressing their solidarity with Mesut Kacmez and demands that they should be produced before the courts.