Urgent Action: JOURNALIST AND POET FACES CHARGES AFTER ABDUCTION (Pakistan 46.24)

On May 15, 2024, Ahmad Farhad, a Kashmiri journalist and poet, outspoken critic of enforced disappearances and known for his support for social movements, was forcibly disappeared from his home in the capital city of Pakistan, Islamabad. Two weeks later, on May 29, 2024, Ahmad resurfaced in the custody of police in Pakistan administered Jammu and Kashmir. A criminal case was filed against him for “obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions” at a check post in Kohala, near Muzaffarabad. Subsequently, he was implicated in another case on charges related to terrorism and unlawful assembly. Ahmad was released on bail on June 14; however, the charges against him remain and the investigations into these allegations are ongoing.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UNTIL: October 28, 2024

take action:

• Write a letter in your own words or using the sample below as a guide to one or both government officials listed. You can also email, fax, call or Tweet them.
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contact information:

sample letter:

Dear Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwar-ul-Haq,

I am writing to express my concerns regarding the charges against Pakistani journalist and poet, Ahmad Farhad, and his previous enforced disappearance from his home in Islamabad on May 15, 2024. Despite a First Information Report (FIR) regarding his disappearance being filed on orders of the Islamabad High Court, his whereabouts remained unknown until May 29 when he resurfaced in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, at a check post in Kohala, near Muzaffarabad.

While I appreciate the government’s efforts to recover Ahmad, I remain deeply concerned about the trumped-up charges filed against him and the ongoing investigations under the Azad Kashmir Penal Code and AntiTerrorism Act. Ahmad has long endured various forms of intimidation from state authorities and is now being targeted for his social media activities. Furthermore, no investigation into Ahmad’s enforced disappearance has been opened.

Therefore, I urge your government to drop all criminal proceedings against, and end the harassment and intimidation of, Ahmad Farhad for exercising his right to freedom of expression.

Yours sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

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