Kashmiri poet Ahmed Farhad Shah, currently under arrest, was brought to a health facility in Muzaffarabad following a plea made by his counsel to an anti-terrorism court. The legal proceedings continue as his defense argues against the charges.
The petition, initially filed by local lawyer Syed Zulqarnain Naqvi, sought Shah’s bail in the sessions court of Muzaffarabad, also serving as the district’s anti-terrorism court. However, the case was adjourned on Friday at the request of the police, pending the appointment of a special prosecutor.
On Saturday, Shah’s legal representation was changed to hardliner Karam Dad Khan, along with Fazal Mahmud Baig and other local lawyers. Khan argued that the allegations against Shah did not apply to him, as he was not physically present in Muzaffarabad at the time of the incident mentioned in the FIR.
Khan further alleged that Shah was detained by security agencies from his residence in Islamabad and later re-arrested based on a forged FIR. He emphasized Shah’s critical health condition and requested a medical examination by doctors from Abbas Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS).
While Shah was taken to AIMS for tests, his lawyers expressed dissatisfaction with the examination conducted by a junior doctor and urged for his hospitalization. The court granted the prosecution’s request for time to present arguments, scheduling the next hearing for Monday.
The case has garnered attention due to Shah’s outspoken criticism of the prevailing system in Pakistan through his poetry and the allegations of his unlawful detention. Legal proceedings are ongoing as Shah’s defense continues to challenge the charges against him.
