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Islamabad, May 21 (IANS) In a major development, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday ordered the recovery of the missing Kashmiri journalist and poet Ahmed Farhad Shah by Friday (May 24), granting the state an extension in the case.
Farhad, a Kashmiri poet and journalist, was abducted from his residence in Islamabad on May 14 and is suspected to be in the custody of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency.
Known for criticising the country's powerful military establishment through his poetry, he supported the recent anti-inflation long march held in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) which witnessed massive violence in the region.
It is believed that Farhad's criticism of the country's military establishment on social media led to his abduction by the country's intelligence agency.
The case landed in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) where Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani - one of the six judges who wrote a letter to the Supreme Court highlighting the ongoing interference, influence, harassment and intimidation tactics allegedly by the country's intelligence agencies to influence judicial proceedings and matters - took a serious note of the matter and slammed the government and the spy agencies for not shedding the perception of their involvement in forced abductions.
During Tuesday's hearing, Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan assured the court on behalf of the state institutions that Farhad would be recovered, asking the court to give some more time to ensure the recovery.
The AGP's assurance became the talking point as Justice Kayani highlighted and mentioned that the assurance was being given on behalf of the state (establishment) and its institutions, telling the Attorney General that he had raised a white flag in the case before the court.
The AGP agreed that he was giving assurance on behalf of the state institution that Farhad would be recovered.
"You (AGP) have waived a white flag before the court. This matter would have gotten worse if you wouldn't have surrendered on behalf of the institution," remarked Justice Kayani who ordered the recovery of Farhad by Friday.
The Interior Ministry's Secretary and Inspector General of Islamabad Police were also present during Tuesday's hearing.
It is pertinent to mention that during the previous hearing, Justice Kayani had expressed his anger against the intelligence agencies, after the petitioner, wife of Ahmed Farhad Shah, told the court of an exchange of calls and messages she had with an ISI official, who was forcing her to withdraw the case from the court if she wanted to see her husband released.
Justice Kayani had summoned the Secretary Interior and Secretary Defence to come up with a written response and had ordered the IG Police to record the statement of the ISI station commander in Islamabad under Section 166 for criminal proceedings.
Justice Kayani had warned that he would even summon the ministers - and even the Prime Minister - if Farhad was not recovered. Kayani had denounced the role of intelligence agencies in ongoing forced abductions.
"This country will either be run as per the law or the ways of agencies," Justice Kayani remarked.
However, despite the court's summon, the Secretary Defence did not appear before the court, while the ISI Station Commander's statement was also not recorded by the investigation officer.
Tuesday's developments have given an interesting turn to the ongoing rivalry between the judiciary and Pakistani establishment as the country's judges are now ready to call out and hold accountable senior commanders, ministers and even the country's premier over what they call a constant undermining of the judicial system.
--IANS
hamza/as/dan
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