Senior Journalist and Political Leader Booked in Kashmir for Alleged Anti-Army Social Media Posts

Special Correspondent | Rawalakot, Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir — July 2025: In a move that has sparked fresh concerns about freedom of speech and political repression, Rawalakot police have registered a controversial case against senior journalist and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front chief organizer Sardar Qadeer Khan and Sarwarajiya Inqilabi Party president Sardar Sajjad Afzal.

According to FIR No. 232/25 filed at Model Police Station Rawalakot, the alleged incident occurred on April 1, 2025, when the two accused allegedly shared “fabricated, factually incorrect, and hate-filled” content on social media targeting the Pakistan Army. The FIR claims this act endangered the Army’s reputation and posed a threat to national security.

What makes this case particularly striking is that the FIR was lodged more than three months later, on July 13, 2025 — a gap of 3 months and 13 days after the alleged incident. Police invoked sections 153-A (promoting enmity) and 489-Y, among others, in the complaint.

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In recent years, similar cases have been filed against journalists, social media activists, and political workers across Pakistan-administered Kashmir, with several arrests made and many young activists seeing their careers and livelihoods disrupted by these legal actions.

Activists and observers have condemned what they describe as “bogus and fabricated” FIRs aimed at silencing dissent and curbing free expression. They call for an immediate end to such practices and for those orchestrating these cases to be held accountable.