Ahmed Farhad, a poet from Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), has been granted bail by the AJK High Court following his arrest, according to recent reports. Farhad’s bail was approved against a surety bond of Rs200,000.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) had previously declared Farhad a “missing person” and termed his arrest “illegal.” The IHC’s order noted that Farhad had been missing since May 15, and a first information report (FIR) regarding his disappearance was filed with the Lohebher Police Station in Islamabad under Sections 427 and 365 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
The court was informed that Farhad had been arrested by the Dherkot Kashmir Police Station and was also wanted by the Saddar Police Station in Muzaffarabad for a terrorism case. The court concluded that he had been forcibly disappeared and criticized the relevant institution for failing to recover him.
The IHC’s order required the investigation officer from Lohebher Police Station to record Farhad’s statement under Section 164 before a judicial magistrate after his return and to proceed with the investigation based on his statement.
Farhad had been missing for 15 days before the Attorney General for Pakistan, Mansoor Usman Awan, revealed on May 29 that Farhad was in the custody of AJK police. Farhad was transferred to Muzaffarabad from DhirKot under multiple sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).
His disappearance gained significant attention following protests in AJK in May, which prompted his wife, Urooj Zainab, to move the IHC for his recovery and to request an investigation and prosecution of those responsible for his disappearance.