Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): Kashmiri journalist Fahad Shah, who was released from jail after 658 days in an alleged militancy case, said he was happy to be back among his kin and friends.
Fahad was released on Wednesday, a day after the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh quashed the accusations brought against him under the Public Safety Act (PSA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. After stepping out of Jammu's Kot Balwal jail on Wednesday evening, Fahad reached his home on Thursday in Gulab Bagh, Srinagar. Despite the joyous mood at his residence, Fahad still finds it difficult to forget the nights spent behind bars.
Fahad is receiving congratulations from friends, family, and other journalists upon his release, but the smile that adorned his face before his incarceration has not returned.
Fahad was incarcerated in various jails of Jammu and Kashmir for twenty-one months of his life, the bulk of which he was confined at Kot Balwal jail. "I feel so good to be home with my friends and family," Fahad told ETV Bharat at his home here.
Despite his physically frail and dejected appearance, Fahad said, "Being incarcerated day and night was difficult, and it made me feel like I had changed a lot."
"The reality in jail is different. It alters your personality and causes you to feel stressed. I am unable to put the moment into words," he quipped. Asked how he managed to spend all these months in jail, Fahad said he used to read books by many well-known authors and recite the Holy Qur'an.
“I read about a lot of different people, including Mandela. I have no idea what I'm going to do next," he said. Before being imprisoned, Fahad was the editor of the news publication "The Kashmir Wala" which the Centre banned leaving the outlet without any physical or virtual address. While he did not discuss his magazine, Fahad did note that "inmates frequently write their emotions and ideas on the walls of the prison."
Also read: Kashmiri journalist Fahad Shah released after spending nearly two years in jail
“While some people document their daily activities while incarcerated, others hold out hope for their release. I also harboured hopes of being let free at some point. We shouldn't ever give up, and I didn't either. I can't walk because of this weakness right now. I'm hoping everything will be alright soon. I hope that no one else experiences what happened to me," he said.
Aquib Shah, Fahad's older brother, told ETV Bharat, "I did not think that Fahad was my brother when I saw him stepping out of the Kot Balwal Jail on Wednesday (November 22) evening." Fahad had undergone a transformation. He was not the same individual that was imprisoned. He is speaking with his friends and fellow journalists in an attempt to relieve some of his stress and depression," Aquib said.
"I hope my brother starts again and achieves greatness," he continued. "He is one of those people who never gives up. He has a lot of well-wishers supporting him right now, which is great. I give them all my gratitude," he added. Now he is finally back home, Fahad alleged that the inmates inside the jails are not properly provided with medical facilities.
"There were 17 of us in a barrack, and if any of the inmates were ill, they were given Pantop, an acidity medication, followed by Dolo 650, a medication for fever and pain relief. Dal-rice, dal-roti, and occasionally vegetables made up the meal. Nothing about the meal bothers me; it was little in comparison to what I witnessed," he said.
In February 2022, Fahad Shah, then 32, was taken into custody under several sections of UAPA and PSA. Fahad Shah, now 34, asserts, nevertheless, that "the court hearing takes a lot of time, I consider myself lucky that it took only 21 months for my release."
