Syed Farhad Ali Shah, an Islamabad-based journalist, was detained on June 20, 2026, in the Bagh district of Pakistan-administered Kashmir under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, a colonial-era law that allows detention without charge for up to six months.
Ali Shah, who has more than 100,000 followers on social platform X, reports for the social media-focused outlet Times of Kashmir.
He was detained after reporting on protests by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) in Rawalakot city, in Pakistan-administrated Kashmir, according to a family member, who spoke to CPJ on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. No first information report, which initiates a police investigation, was filed against Ali Shah, nor did he appear in court, the family member said.
After facing serious health issues during detention, he went on hunger strike twice to protest his arbitrary detention, before being released on August 31, the family member said.
Previously, in May 2024, Ali Shah was detained at his home in Islamabad and held for two weeks before appearing in court. He was released on bail about a month later. Before his detention, he had reported critically on protests over rising prices in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Pakistan-administrated Kashmir’s Central Police Office in Chatter, Muzaffarabad, did not respond to CPJ’s emailed request for comment.