In a harrowing turn of events, renowned screen writer Khalil-Ur-Rehman Qamar was allegedly kidnapped, tortured, and looted in Lahore earlier last month. Qamar held a press conference the same day to speak about the incident. According to the FIR registered at the Sundar Police Station in Lahore, Qamar received a phone call from an unknown number close to midnight. The caller, who identified herself as Amna Urooj, claimed to be a fan of Qamar and expressed a desire to collaborate with him on a TV drama. Qamar, known for his popular dramas like Meray Paas Tum Ho and Pyarey Afzal, agreed to meet her. He reached the given location at approximately 4:40am, where Urooj welcomed him into her house. However, soon after he sat down, there was a knock on the door, and around seven armed men entered the room. The men conducted a body search, seizing Rs 60,000, an iPhone 11, an ATM card, and Qamar’s national identity card.

The FIR said the abductors withdrew over Rs 200,000 from a separate bank account belonging to Qamar. The kidnappers allegedly demanded a ransom of Rs 10 million.

During his press conference, Qamar spoke about his frightening experience. He explained his reasons for meeting Urooj at such an odd hour, citing medical advice to avoid daytime outings due to health issues.

“I am sick and my doctor has strictly told me to not go out in the daytime for five years.” The reasoning has made the writer a target of memes on the internet with many skeptical of him.