New York, Aug 5 (IANS) A leading international press freedom group on Wednesday called on Pakistani authorities to immediately release journalists Razi Tahir and Muhammad Saif, who were reportedly taken from their Islamabad office by men in police uniforms, following their reporting on the ongoing unrest in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), where authorities have imposed an internet blackout and severe restrictions on press freedom.

 

The unrest in PoK has claimed more than 50 lives and left hundreds injured over the last few days, drawing international condemnation over the human rights abuses by Pakistani forces and the deteriorating state of media freedom in the region.

 

Citing a social media post by Razi’s colleague Harmeet Singh, and a local journalist, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said that Tahir and Saif, both independent Pakistani journalists who publish through Tahir’s popular social media channels, were seized and taken to an undisclosed location on August 1.

 

“Both Singh and the journalist said that the men who seized the pair were wearing police uniforms. However, police in Islamabad have not acknowledged the journalists’ detention and their whereabouts remain unknown,” the organisation added.

 

Expressing grave concern over the incident, CPJ Afghanistan-Pakistan Representative Waliullah Rahmani said that the disappearance of Tahir and Saif “appears to be part of an escalating effort to silence independent reporting” on PoK amid severe press freedom violations in the region.

 

“Pakistani authorities must immediately disclose the journalists’ whereabouts, ensure their due-process rights, and release them unconditionally,” he added.

 

The CPJ noted that earlier on June 23, 2026, officers from Pakistan’s National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency detained Tahir at the Islamabad District Courts after his pre-arrest bail application was dismissed in a case related to his reporting on former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan registered under the country's Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act. He was later released on bail on July 8.

 

On Monday, the CPJ urged the Pakistani authorities to immediately end the crackdown on journalists, restore access to information, and allow independent reporting in PoK.

 

Highlighting the ongoing crackdown on journalists across the occupied territory, the CPJ said, “Independent Kashmiri journalist Syed Farhad Ali Shah remains in detention over his coverage of the protests. There has been no update on his condition since he began a hunger strike on July 28 in Bagh district. Authorities must ensure he has access to urgent medical care and immediately release him.”