Journalist and poet Ahmad Farhad has reportedly been detained for more than two months in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir….reports Asian Lite News Desk
Amnesty International South Asia has called for the immediate and unconditional release of journalist and poet Ahmad Farhad, who has reportedly been held in administrative detention for more than two months in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).
Farhad has been detained since June 20 in Bagh under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, according to Amnesty International. The rights organisation said he is currently on a hunger strike in protest against what it described as his unlawful detention.
His health has reportedly deteriorated significantly, prompting authorities to transfer him to a hospital on August 22.
Amnesty said Farhad is among several journalists and human rights defenders who have allegedly faced targeting for raising concerns over human rights violations in PoJK. The organisation urged the authorities to release him immediately and unconditionally, citing concerns over his prolonged detention and worsening health.
Farhad’s latest detention follows an earlier disappearance that attracted international attention.
According to Amnesty, Farhad was forcibly taken from his home in Islamabad on May 15, 2024. He was known for criticising enforced disappearances and supporting social movements. He reappeared on May 29 in police custody in PoJK.
Authorities subsequently accused him of obstructing a public servant at a Kohala check post near Muzaffarabad. Additional charges related to terrorism and unlawful assembly were later filed against him.
Farhad was released on bail on June 14, 2024, although the charges remained pending and investigations continued.
His case has since become part of broader concerns raised by rights organisations over enforced disappearances and the treatment of journalists, activists and human rights defenders in Pakistan.
Rights groups have repeatedly alleged that critics of state policies and those demanding accountability have faced detention, intimidation and enforced disappearance.
Amnesty’s latest appeal has renewed scrutiny of Farhad’s detention, particularly amid concerns over his hunger strike and deteriorating health.
