An anti-terrorism court in Muzaffarabad rejected the bail petition of poet Ahmed Farhad on Tuesday. The court delivered its verdict, which had been reserved on Monday, after hearing arguments from both the defense and prosecution.
Zulqarnain Naqvi Advocate, representing Farhad, had filed the bail petition, arguing for his client’s release. “The case against Ahmed Farhad has been registered under seven clauses including terrorism,” Naqvi explained to the media last week. The charges stem from a protest organized by the Awami Action Committee on May 13.
Poet Ahmed Farhad, who garnered attention after going missing during protests in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, was the subject of a petition filed by his wife in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on May 15. She requested the court to locate him, present him before the judiciary, and hold accountable those responsible for his disappearance.
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On May 29, the Attorney General of Pakistan informed the IHC that Farhad had been arrested and was in the custody of the AJK police. The AGP submitted a report from Dher Kot police station in Kashmir to Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani.
Previously, the IHC had summoned senior intelligence officials and the federal law minister to address Farhad’s disappearance. Last week, the IHC rejected the federal government’s plea to close the case until Farhad could personally appear in court. The hearing for Farhad’s recovery case is scheduled to resume on June 7.
