Justice Kiyani orders Defense Secretary to report on poet Ahmad Farhad’s abduction

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani, Senior Puisne Judge of Islamabad High Court has ordered the Secretary, Ministry of Defense to submit a concise report on Monday after seeking a report from relevant quarters of Inter-Services Intelligence and Military Intelligence with an explanation as to how and under what circumstances Ahmad Farhad has been kidnapped and abducted from Islamabad.

Justice Kiyani was presiding over a hearing on an application filed by Ain Naqvi wife of abducted Poet Ahmad Farhad. Ahmad Farhad was abducted from his residence in Islamabad on Wednesday morning around 1:00 am and no whereabouts of the poet have been found as of now.

The Hearing

The hearing started at 3:00 pm after yesterday’s order to SSP Operations and SHO Lohi Bher, Islamabad to produce Ahmad Farhad by 3:00 pm at the court.

Ain Naqvi along with her lawyers Iman Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha appeared at the rostrum. Justice Kiyani asked SSP Operations, Jameel Zafar about the investigations. SSP Operations told the court that the Special Investigation Team had been constituted, The Investigation officer acquired CCTV footage of the area and after that, almost 15 suspected vehicles were checked. The letters have also been written to all the Law Enforcement Agencies and GEO fencing of the area has also been initiated. However, Safe City cameras are not available where the incident has taken place.

Adv. Iman Mazari argued before the court that our allegations are specifically on ISI and its sector commander. ISI doesn’t come under the Ministry of Interior, so have they asked ISI about the abduction? Law officer IGP, Tahir Kazim told the court that it’s easy for us to declare the abduction as enforced disappearance but we’re investigating the matter right now. Justice Kiyani remarked whenever Namloom Afrad (Unknown Persons) is alleged, fingerprints disappear from the NADRA database, and the record also disappears from GEO fencing.

Justice Kiyani further remarked that we should summon Sector Commander ISI and Secretary of Defense in the court because we told you that after a threshold investigation of police stops. Why does no one allege Police for abduction why does everyone allege agencies after enforced disappearances? When people return they say that they were at Kaghan or some Northern areas, added Law Officer Tahir Kazim to which Justice Kiyani remarked that, including me, everyone knows who’s behind the abductions, we just close our eyes on this matter. Namaloom Afrad has this ability that when they send a person back, the family of the person and society never let the person talk or tell where was he taken, they’re indirectly protecting the abductors by doing so.

Justice Kiyani also remarked that if you ask me there must be a death penalty for enforced disappearances. I hope the Government makes the Enforced Disappearances Act 2024 with a separate Station where they register FIRs of 365 for Enforced Disappearances. Why do only journalists and political activists disappear? Because they dissent. Whoever says 4 things against them is abducted, people say anything on social media websites all day, what will they do? abduct the whole country? They should make laws.

I’ll start as Secretary of Defense then Secretary of Interior then Secretary of Information and will go to the office of the Prime Minister if missing persons are not recovered. They’ll have to do their job else all of them will have to go home.

The hearing has been adjourned till Monday, May 20th.