Journalists taken from Islamabad office, whereabouts unclear

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 2 August 2026 |  JP Staff Report

Two journalists were taken from an Islamabad office on Aug 1; initial social media posts accused police of arresting Razi Tahir, but a later post said unidentified people took Razi Tahir and Muhammad Saif, and authorities have not confirmed their whereabouts.

Summary

UPDATE (August 2, 2026): This story has been updated after subsequent information emerged from journalist Shakir Mehmood Awan indicating that Razi Tahir and Muhammad Saif were reportedly taken away by unidentified individuals. Earlier versions referred to allegations that Islamabad Police had arrested Razi Tahir based on an initial social media post. Those claims have not been independently verified, and the story has been revised to reflect the latest publicly available information.

ISLAMABAD —Conflicting accounts have emerged over the reported detention of two journalists from an office in Islamabad, with no official confirmation of who took them or where they are being held.

Pakistan's first Sikh television anchor, Harmeet Singh, wrote on X on August 1 that he had received information alleging Islamabad Police raided his office, detained journalist Razi Tahir, and removed computers and other equipment. He said the reported action was linked to Tahir's coverage of a Kashmir-related protest in Islamabad's F-10 sector a day earlier. JournalismPakistan has not independently verified those claims.

Conflicting accounts emerge

A subsequent post on X by journalist Shakir Mehmood Awan presented a different account. Awan said senior journalist Razi Tahir and journalist Muhammad Saif were taken away from their Islamabad office by unidentified individuals on August 1.

سینئر صحافی رضی طاہر اور محمد سیف کو گزشتہ روز اسلام آباد میں ان کے دفتر سے نامعلوم افراد اپنے ساتھ لے گئے۔ ان کی موجودہ حالت اور مقام کے حوالے سے تاحال کوئی سرکاری وضاحت سامنے نہیں آئی۔صحافی ہرمیت سنگھ کے مطابق وہ دونوں صحافیوں کی تلاش میں اسلام آباد کے مختلف تھانوں گئے، تاہم ہر… pic.twitter.com/3jV8oZfWjG

— Shakir Mehmood Awan (@ShakirAwan88) August 2, 2026

According to Awan, Harmeet Singh later visited several police stations in Islamabad in an effort to locate the two journalists but was reportedly told at each station that neither man was in police custody. As of publication, no official clarification had been issued regarding their whereabouts or the circumstances surrounding their disappearance.

No official confirmation

In his earlier post, Singh questioned whether reporting on protests had become a crime and alleged that computers and other office equipment had been seized during the incident. He also claimed Tahir had previously spent about a month in custody before the latest developments.

However, in light of the subsequent information shared by Awan, it remains unclear who took the journalists or whether any law enforcement agency was involved. JournalismPakistan has been unable to independently verify either account, and no official statement from Islamabad Police or any other authority had been issued by the time of publication.

The uncertainty surrounding the journalists' whereabouts is likely to heighten concerns among media organizations and press freedom advocates, who have repeatedly called for transparency and due process in cases involving journalists.

ATTRIBUTION: Based on social media posts published by Harmeet Singh on August 1, 2026, and Shakir Mehmood Awan on X on August 2, 2026 . JournalismPakistan has not independently verified the claims. No official statement had been issued by the relevant authorities at the time of publication.

ابھی اطلاع ملی ہے کہ میرے دفتر پر چھاپہ مارا گیا، صحافی رضی طاہر کو گرفتار کر لیا گیا اور دفتر سے کمپیوٹر سمیت دیگر سامان بھی اسلام آباد پولیس اپنے ساتھ لے گئی۔اطلاعات ہیں کہ اس کارروائی کی وجہ یہ بتائی جا رہی ہے کہ رضی طاہر کل ایف-10 میں کشمیر احتجاج کی کوریج کے لیے گئے تھے۔…

— Harmeet Singh (@HarmeetSinghPk) August 1, 2026

PHOTO: AI-generated; for illustrative purposes only.