Release Pakistani journalist detained in Peshawar immediately, international body says

SHAH ALAM - Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has urged for immediate release of Pakistani journalist Syed Fawad Ali Shah from a prison in Peshawar, northern Pakistan.

He was believed detained over his reports of First Information Report (FIR), and accused for posting fake information online which was against the section 20 and 24 of 2016 Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca).

RSF in the meantime has viewed the copy of the January 2020 police report.

However, RSF Asia Pacific’s Desk Head Daniel Bastard claimed the accusation made by the FIR against Syed Fawad was baseless.

“The First Information Report accusations against Syed Fawad Ali Shah are supported by absolutely no legally valid evidence, which means this journalist should not be in a prison.

“Furthermore, according to the latest information available to us, his state of health is quite alarming after six months in prison cell.

“To respect the rule of law and on humanitarian grounds, we urge interior minister Rana Sanaullah Khan to order his immediate and unconditional release and to allow him to leave Pakistan,” he said.

The FIR, which was submitted by a representative of the interior ministry in Peshawar, the city where Shah is currently detained, also makes reference to sections 186, 500, and 506 of the criminal code, which deal with "defamation" and "intimidation" of officials.

Based on a local media report, Fawad escaped to Kuala Lumpur over a decade ago but suddenly disappeared in August of last year. In Malaysia, Fawad continued to publish critical reports of the Pakistani government.

In a Free Malaysia Today's report, former national unity minister P Waytha Moorthy said Fawad's whereabouts were confirmed his family in Pakistan.

“All this time, they (the Pakistani authorities) denied that Fawad was in Pakistan. For the first time, they revealed his whereabouts, that he was at the Adiala jail,” he said.

Syeda, Fawad's wife, had spent more than two months looking for him in Kuala Lumpur, but was given brief information that Fawad was deported to Pakistan.

Expecting to receive no answer, Syeda went back to Pakistan, where the government claimed not to know where he was.

He was allegedly deported to Pakistan through diplomatic channels as a result of disciplinary issues he had as a police officer, according to information subsequently made public by Malaysian authorities.

However, Syeda denied her husband was a former police officer.

She finally visited her husband in the Peshawar prison on Feb 21 only to find that Fawad was in a weak condition.

The Malaysian Advancement Party chief further said Fawad had informed his wife that he was kidnapped by the Pakistani secret service.

“He said he was taken on a stretcher to the airport and put on a Pakistan international Airlines flight without any travel documents.

“He was detained in the underground dark room cell since Aug 26 and only met his wife,” he said.

Syeda told Sinar Daily that Fawad was in a weak condition and was suffering from skin disease. She said her husband was also suffering from mental health issues.

"He seemed afraid and we are hoping he will not be sent back to the dark room."