Daily Times

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) was informed on Wednesday by Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan that missing poet Ahmad Farhad was apprehended and is currently in police custody.

During the hearing presided over by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Awan presented a police report of Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s Dhirkot police station. A petition was filed by Farhad’s wife, Arooj Zainab, through lawyer Imaan Mazari when Farhad, a journalist and poet, went missing from his home in Islamabad on May 14.

The AGP along with Additional Attorney General (AAG) Munawar Iqbal Duggal and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, appeared in the court.

On May 24, Justice Kayani issued an eight-page written order in Urdu, summoning Law Minister Tarar; sector commanders of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Military Intelligence (MI); Intelligence Bureau (IB) director; as well as the defence and interior secretaries in person before the court on May 29 (today).

“Ask Ahmed Farhad’s family, and the case will be disposed of. I will send the file for the formation of a larger bench on the missing persons issue,” Justice Kayani remarked before adjourning the hearing today.

At the outset of the hearing, the petitioner’s lawyer Mazari stated, “[Yet] another citizen went missing for whom an FIR was registered four days later”.

When asked for more information by the court, Mazari said the missing poet had been posting about Kashmir on social media before he forcibly disappeared. “I do not use social media, so I am not concerned..those who do are distressed,” Justice Kayani responded.

Justice Kayani then directed Islamabad’s top cop to look into the matter, adding that the court is not taking any action yet and simply asking the IG to look into the situation.

The court then stated that questions have been asked in all cases concerning missing persons, the answers to which are pending. It also expressed its belief that there is no conflict between institutions and that no individual is against the armed forces.

“There is no enmity with any agency,” emphasized Justice Kayani.

“We only advocate for working in accordance with the law,” Justice Kayani remarked, adding that institutions should cultivate a practice of operating within legal parameters.

Law minister Tarar, while speaking in court, lamented the current state of lawlessness in the country and said the Parliament “should also fulfil its role”.

Referring to the controversial Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) notification barring the airing of court proceedings and remarks by judges, Justice Kayani maintained that the regulatory authority “cannot ban the reporting of judges’ remarks”. Last week, the IHC ordered the live broadcasting of all cases involving missing persons while hearing the plea for the recovery of the poet.

“People have become aware due to the role of the media,” he added.

The law minister informed the court that the matter concerning the PEMRA notification is being heard in three separate courts.

Legal assistant Hamid Mir said a better outcome could have been achieved if the bill passed in the Parliament had also been implemented. He added that as a legal assistant, he submitted his written reports.

“An amendment was recommended in this bill,” responded the law minister.

“People from media have also been abducted, and killed,” he added while sympathising with the “miseries” of missing persons.

On May 28, the state’s top law officer assured the capital’s high court that all people who have allegedly been forcibly disappeared will return to their homes.