UNHCR-recognized Refugee forced into hiding in remote region after criticizing ex-COAS.

ISLAMABAD: It has come to light that a journalist, who was detained in Pakistan for writing critical columns about former Army Chief General Retired Qamar Javed Bajwa, has been forced to relocate to the remote Pak-Afghan border region, following his release from prison. Syed Fawad Ali Shah, a UNHCR’S recognized refugee journalist, was reportedly clandestinely brought back to Pakistan on August 25, 2022, from Malaysia, in a coordinated operation between Pakistani security officials and Malaysian agencies. After a six-month investigation, he was handed over to the FIA Cyber Crime Circle in Islamabad, where two cases were registered against him under the PECA act, leading to his detention. While he was eventually granted bail, he has since been living in hiding in the mountainous areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, out of fear of being abducted, caught, and killed once again. Sources suggest that despite receiving widespread support from the foreign media during his ordeal, Syed Fawad Ali Shah was completely ignored by the Pakistani press. The journalist was  been in contact with the late Arshad Sharif, who often mentioned Fawad’s columns on his show. The circumstances of Fawad’s abduction from Malaysia and the untimely death of Arshad Sharif bear some similarities, making the situation even more concerning. Fawad is currently facing grave threats to his life, and it is disheartening to note that none of the NGOs working for the protection of journalists in Pakistan have appealed to the government for his safety. It is a stark reminder that the current administration is utterly preoccupied with lining their own pockets, with little regard for the plight of its people or maintaining law and order in the country. If any harm befalls Fawad during this time, it would be a massive setback for the freedom of the press in the region, and an unmitigated slap in the face of journalism. Organizations like UNHCR Pakistan and International Organization for Migration should also not leave their registered refugee alone like this and should play their role in shifting him to a safe place. Because in these situations it is the responsibility of these two organizations to reach out to their refugee and help him in every possible way.