Poet Ahmed Farhad's bail plea rejected by ATC

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Muzaffarabad has denied bail to Kashmiri poet Ahmed Farhad on Tuesday. 

The Kashmiri poet went missing from his home in Islamabad on May 14 and was found in police custody at a police station outside Muzaffarabad, the capital of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on May 29.

Earlier on June 1, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) rejected the federal government’s request to close the recovery case of the missing Kashmiri poet until he appears in person at a hearing.

The petition, filed by Farhad’s wife Urooj Zainab, was heard by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani of the IHC. Human rights lawyers Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali represented Zainab, while Additional Attorney General Munawwar Iqbal represented the federation.

During the hearing, Iqbal informed the court that Farhad was on physical remand until June 2 and had been allowed to meet his family.

He requested the IHC to wrap up the illegal confinement case.

Read Missing poet found in AJK police custody

Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan had previously informed the IHC on May 29 that the missing poet was in police custody at a police station outside Muzaffarabad, the capital of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

The AGP presented an AJK police report before IHC Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, saying that Farhad had reunited with his family. His statement indicated that a meeting between Farhad and his family took place at Kohori police station.

It was not immediately clear, what charges Farhad faced, who went missing from his home last month.
On the previous hearing of the case on May 24, Justice Kayani issued an eight-page written order, 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