The Azad Jammu and Kashmir High Court has granted bail to poet and journalist Ahmed Farhad Shah, who had gone missing from his Islamabad residence on May 15. Shah reappeared near the AJK border with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on May 29 and was later arrested under various charges.
Despite the rejection of his bail plea by an AJK anti-terrorism court, Shah’s bail petition was approved by the AJK High Court today. Chief Justice Sadaqat Hussain Raja ordered his release on a bail bond of Rs200,000. The court emphasized that the allegations against Shah were contingent upon the presentation of crime, and he was entitled to bail.
The high court’s decision overturned the ATC’s order from June 4, providing a glimmer of hope for Shah’s legal situation. However, the final determination of his charges is still pending.
