Seventeen years after her brother’s childhood note, a grieving sister in Rawalakot shares an emotional response following his fatal shooting during June protests.
Months after 26-year-old Fahad Barkat was shot dead during a wave of public protests and unrest in Rawalakot, an open letter written by his sister has emerged, detailing the profound human toll of the region’s recent crisis.
The letter, penned in response to a childhood note Fahad had given his sister 17 years ago in 2009, reflects the anguish of a family grappling with a sudden and violent loss.
According to family accounts detailed in the writing, Fahad—born on January 30, 2000—was killed on the night of June 7, 2026. Relatives stated that he was an O-Negative blood donor who was heading to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Rawalakot to donate blood to an injured person when he was struck in the neck by a bullet near the hospital gates, dying at the scene.
Due to internet suspensions, strict security crackdowns, and a tense environment across Rawalakot and surrounding areas at the time, the family did not immediately receive accurate information regarding his death. Relatives were initially led to believe he might have been injured or detained, leaving his sister to pray for his safety for weeks before learning of his death.
In the letter, the grieving sister questioned the use of force against civilians and highlighted the ongoing pain of the family, including young relatives who continue to await his return.
The letter has drawn renewed attention to the broader implications of security crackdowns and street protests in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, where human rights advocates have frequently raised concerns over civilian safety, accountability, and the impact of civil unrest on ordinary households.