IHC declares arrest of Ahmed Farhad unlawful.
The Islamabad High Court declared the arrest of poet Ahmed Farhad as unlawful.
The court’s decision highlighted that Ahmed Farhad had been a victim of forced disappearance and criticized the failure of institutions to recover him promptly.
The written judgment instructed that upon his return, Ahmed Farhad should provide his statement to the Lohi Bher magistrate.
The court also took a broader stance on the issue of forced disappearances, directing the Registrar of the Islamabad High Court to consolidate all related cases and submit them to the Chief Justice.
Also read: Who abducted poet Ahmad Farhad?
This move is aimed at facilitating the creation of a larger bench to handle these sensitive cases.
Further stipulations from the court included a directive for the Registrar’s Office to convene the relevant institutions at the next session of the Criminal Justice Committee.
Cases pertaining to national security are to be heard in-camera, ensuring confidentiality.
Mother of Ahmed Farhad crying in front of National Press Club.
Farhad is a Kashmiri Journalist and Poet. Who was abducted on May 15,2024 and still missing. Human Rights Council of Pakistan have demanded his release, and the case has sparked concerns about the safety of… pic.twitter.com/3WPPmVqpwC— Javeria Siddique (@javerias) May 28, 2024
The decision noted that after a confidential briefing from the heads of state agencies, the larger bench would then proceed with hearing the cases.
Additionally, the court mandated that the media be restricted from reporting on these proceedings to maintain the integrity of the investigations and protect national security interests.
As IHC declares arrest of Ahmed Farhad unlawful, previously, Ahmed Farhad was produced by the police before an anti-terrorism court in Muzaffarabad, where it was disclosed that the investigation into his case had been completed.
The court ordered that he be transferred to jail after the completion of his remand and required the police to present him again before the court on June 24.
