IFJ - International Federation of Journalists

08/11/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/10/2026 20:22

Pakistan: Two journalists missing after reported abduction in Islamabad

11 August 2026

Pakistan: Two journalists missing after reported abduction in Islamabad

Two journalists are reportedly missing from Islamabad since August 1 after unidentified men in police uniforms abducted them from their office while covering a protest related to Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), with a third detained and since released. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), condemn the enforced disappearances and call for those responsible to be brought to justice.

Kashmiri journalists Razi Tahir (L) and Raja Ikram (R) were two of three journalists reportedly detained in Islamabad on August 1. Image Credit: X (L) and Facebook (R)

Azad Kashmiri journalists Razi Tahir, Muhammad Saif, who is 18 years old, and Raja Ikram were all reportedly detained in connection with their coverage of ongoing deadly election protests and voting boycotts in Islamabad after the organising group Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) was banned from demonstrating in June. Ikram has reportedly since been released, while Razi Tahir and Muhammad Saif remain unaccounted for.

According to eyewitnesses, the three were shifted to Kohsar and Shalimar police stations, but their official whereabouts have not been disclosed. Lawyers from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) visited Kohsar Police Station to seek information on Tahir and Saif, but police stated that neither individual was in their custody, with no First Information Report (FIR) registered.

Tahir was previously arrested in June 2026 in a case registered under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) over a social media post regarding a supposed meeting between jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) founder and a former public figure. Press freedom bodies, including the Human Rights Council of Pakistan, criticised the case as an attempt to intimidate and target Tahir over his reporting.

Pakistan has significantly tightened media control over the past year, as conflict in Jammu and Kashmir has escalated. In new foreign media guidelines, Pakistani authorities have banned international media from reporting outside of the country's three major cities of Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi. Pakistan's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting now requires foreign media, including Pakistani nationals, to secure No-Objection Certificates to work. Further restrictions have blocked Al Jazeera's website following the outlet's coverage of Kashmir on August 1.

The PFUJ said:"PFUJ leadership always emphasises that working journalists must follow codes of ethics and avoid fake news, and we urge the authorities to fairly investigate, bring justice to the arrested journalists, and respect freedom of speech and expression in the country."

The IFJ said: "Enforced disappearance has no place in a democracy. Journalists must never be made to vanish for doing their jobs. We call on the Pakistani government to immediately confirm the whereabouts of Razi Tahir and Muhammad Saif, ensure their safety, and guarantee that all journalists are able to work without fear of arbitrary detention or reprisal."

For further information contact IFJ Asia - Pacific on [email protected]

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IFJ - International Federation of Journalists published this content on August 11, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on August 11, 2026 at 02:22 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]