Rights Group Urges Pakistan to Investigate Disappearance of Two Afghan Media Activists

DID Press: The Human Rights Activists Union has called on Pakistan to conduct a comprehensive and transparent investigation into the disappearance of Sayed Qasim Hashemi and Hamed Ehsas, two Afghan media and cultural activists who have been missing in Islamabad for nearly two months.

According to their families and previous media reports, the two men left their residence together on July 4, 2026, and contact with them was lost later that evening. Their vehicle was subsequently located through its GPS system in the D-12 area of Islamabad, but neither man was found inside or near the vehicle.

The families have said they contacted Pakistani police and pursued legal and judicial channels, but have so far received no reliable information about the men’s whereabouts or fate. Radio Free Afghanistan reported that the two had left home to buy camera equipment shortly before their disappearance.

The rights group said it had received unconfirmed information suggesting that the two men may have been detained by a Pakistani intelligence agency. However, there has been no public confirmation of such a detention by Pakistani security or intelligence authorities, and the allegation remains unverified.

The Human Rights Activists Union urged Pakistan to disclose the men’s location, health condition and legal basis for any detention if they are being held. If they have not been detained, the group called for immediate and transparent measures to establish their whereabouts and determine what happened to them.

The disappearance has raised concern among Afghanistan’s media and cultural communities in Pakistan. Earlier reports also said relatives of the two men had appealed to Pakistani authorities for an urgent and impartial investigation.