CEO of Cola Next abducted in Karachi

Zulfiqar Ahmed, CEO of Cola Next, a local beverage firm, was abducted by unidentified assailants in Karachi, according to family sources. 

Ahmed, who also owns Paracha Textiles and Meezan Oil, was reportedly seized by masked armed men while travelling with his friend, Qaiser, along Mauripur Road—a key thoroughfare linking the city's wharves to the SITE industrial area.

The incident occurred on Tuesday when their vehicle was forcibly stopped by a black wagon with tinted windows near a police training centre. 

Witnesses reported that several masked individuals armed with guns emerged from the wagon, forced Ahmed and Qaiser out of their vehicle, and then abducted Ahmed, leaving Qaiser behind after a short drive.

Despite these reports, local police at the Kalri station in Lyari, near Mauripur Road, have not registered a First Information Report (FIR).

Cola Next has gained significant market visibility following a partial consumer boycott of foreign beverage giants like Coca-Cola and Pepsi, which have been linked to the Israeli government. The SITE industrial area, where the incident took place, is home to several major bottling operations, including those of Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Pakola, Nauras, and the newer Kababjees Cola by Mehran Bottlers. Cola Next itself is primarily produced in Lahore under the Meezan Group.