Kashmir: Mohsin Ali’s Family Seeks Answers as Authorities Express Helplessness

A protest has been held in Mirpur, Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir, against the alleged enforced disappearance of young engineer Mohsin Ali. Hundreds of citizens participated in the protest, and the local administration has been given a 48-hour deadline to recover Mohsin Ali. A complete lockdown has been announced in Mirpur on February 11.

The young man, Mohsin Ali (alias Mohsin Dospal), was forcibly abducted near the Mirpur Cricket Stadium on February 2 at 8 PM and has not yet been traced. According to the family, the administration has expressed complete helplessness in assisting them.

Mohsin Janihal, 28, a resident of Mirpur, was abducted from the Mirpur Stadium at 8 PM on February 2. According to his elder brother, Mehboob Chaudhry, the police were informed the same day. CCTV footage revealed that individuals in a black Vigo car and another vehicle abducted Mohsin. The vehicles crossed the Mangla checkpoint without inspection and entered Pakistani-administered territory.

Chaudhry stated that CCTV footage from the Mangla checkpoint also showed the vehicles passing through. Officials at the checkpoint claimed the occupants identified themselves as belonging to the FIA Islamabad, prompting them to allow passage without hindrance.

Naghman Arif Kampalvi, a political and social leader advocating for Mohsin’s release, noted that while police initially cited the FIA’s involvement to justify the checkpoint clearance, seven days later, authorities still have no information about Mohsin’s whereabouts.

According to Chaudhry, Mohsin studied engineering and had a passion for Naat recitation and singing. Unemployed, he earned a living through video editing and had built a studio. Chaudhry emphasized that Mohsin had no ties to any political party.

Mohsin had previously composed a critical song targeting Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and other PML-N and PPP leaders. The song had gone viral on social media in recent days. His social media activity, which strongly criticized the military’s influence on Pakistan’s political and economic affairs, is suspected to be linked to his disappearance.

Following Pakistan’s PECA Act, the FIA has initiated arrests to suppress social media criticism. However, this marks the first enforced disappearance in Pakistani-administered Jammu and Kashmir where no FIR has been filed, nor has any information about the victim’s location been disclosed.

Previously, disappearances in the region involved terrorism or espionage allegations, with cases either pending in military courts or resulting in transfers to Kotli Jail after convictions.

The FIA, a federal investigative agency, lacks independent jurisdiction in Jammu and Kashmir. Under the Access to Suspects Act, arrests require coordination with local police and approval from the Home Department after an FIR is filed—neither of which occurred in Mohsin’s case. No agency has claimed responsibility for his abduction.

Arsalan Shani, an official of the Jammu and Kashmir National Students Federation, stated: “Enforced disappearances violate constitutional and legal principles. Military trials, coerced silence, and detentions without due process are authoritarian actions. Abducting a youth without trial is a crime against humanity.”

Shani demanded Mohsin’s immediate recovery, adding that if he is accused of a crime, he must be charged and granted a fair trial. He warned that protests would escalate beyond Mirpur if authorities fail to act.