New Delhi, August 6, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an international press freedom organisation, has expressed serious concern over the reported disappearance of two Pakistani journalists who had been covering the ongoing unrest in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), urging authorities to immediately disclose their whereabouts and release them.
The journalists, Razi Tahir and Muhammad Saif, were reportedly taken from their office in Islamabad on August 1 by individuals wearing police uniforms after reporting on developments in PoK, where an internet blackout and stringent restrictions on media have been imposed.
According to CPJ, citing a social media post by Tahir’s colleague Harmeet Singh and a local journalist who requested anonymity for security reasons, the two independent journalists were taken to an undisclosed location. Islamabad Police have not officially acknowledged their detention, and their whereabouts remain unknown.
The press freedom body said the unrest in PoK has resulted in more than 50 deaths and left hundreds injured in recent days, amid growing international concern over alleged human rights violations and restrictions on independent media coverage.
CPJ’s Afghanistan-Pakistan Representative Waliullah Rahmani said the disappearance of the two journalists appeared to be part of an escalating campaign to suppress independent reporting from the region.
“Pakistani authorities must immediately disclose the journalists’ whereabouts, ensure their due process rights, and release them unconditionally,” Rahmani said.
The organisation also recalled that Tahir had earlier been detained on June 23 by Pakistan’s National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency in connection with a case linked to his reporting on former Prime Minister Imran Khan under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act. He was granted bail and released on July 8.
Earlier this week, CPJ called on Pakistani authorities to end the crackdown on journalists, restore access to information and allow independent reporting from PoK.
The organisation further highlighted the continued detention of independent Kashmiri journalist Syed Farhad Ali Shah, who was arrested over his coverage of the protests. According to CPJ, there has been no official update on Shah’s condition since he reportedly began a hunger strike on July 28 in Bagh district. It urged authorities to provide him with immediate medical care and release him without delay.
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