🍁 سرمد

Abduction of @hafizsaadriaz by the CTD thugs 🧵 For the cause of our Syrian & Palestinian brothers & sisters, @hafizsaadriaz singlehandedly did work that was the duty of our "Islamic state" & our media. He has more soft power than our state can imagine in those circles. 1/10

Saad was attacked because he is poor! #eon #releasesaad #ctd

Pakistani journalist and activist, Muhammad Saad, was detained by Pakistan’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) over false allegations of recruiting for ‘Al-Qaeda’. The CTD claims Saad was detained along with an ‘Al-Qaeda membership card’. At approximately 3:30am in the night, masked men armed with guns forced entry into his home and took him without presenting any warrant. No charges. No due process. Saad, podcast host of Eon Podcast, is known for his work on Balochistan, Kashmir and Syria. His writing has remained within the bounds of law and intellectual inquiry. This is not an isolated case. Last year, Jameel Behram and other activists were arrested following their outspoken advocacy on Gaza. In 2012, Naveed Butt was taken in front of his children, and his whereabouts remain unknown to this day. The Pakistani regime has abducted a large number of activists over the years and is widely known for targeting political opposition through arrests and disappearances. This cannot continue without scrutiny. Pressure must be applied. Release Muhammad Saad. #ReleaseSaad

Assalam u Alaikum, Saad was presented before the Anti-Terrorism Court today. He is in good spirits and when I told him about the massive social media support and voices raised for him, he was deeply humbled. The CTD and prosecution had nothing further to present, and he has now been sent on judicial remand. Saad had no issues with his legs before, but at the time of his court appearance, he was limping and experiencing severe pain in his foot, which raises suspicion of torture by CTD officials. There were also visible injury marks on Saad’s left arm. This is no longer just about Saad. It is about institutional overreach, abuse of power, and corruption. We will pursue this bogus and fraudulent case to its logical conclusion. Saad’s ordeal must become a source of hope for everyone who has faced abuse at the hands of the system. Saad, our family, and I are deeply grateful for all the support and encouragement. The fight will continue. #ReleaseSaad

Assalam u Alaikum, Saad was presented before the Anti-Terrorism Court today. He is in good spirits and when I told him about the massive social media support and voices raised for him, he was deeply humbled. The CTD and prosecution had nothing further to present, and he has now been sent on judicial remand. Saad had no issues with his legs before, but at the time of his court appearance, he was limping and experiencing severe pain in his foot, which raises suspicion of torture by CTD officials. There were also visible injury marks on Saad’s left arm. This is no longer just about Saad. It is about institutional overreach, abuse of power, and corruption. We will pursue this bogus and fraudulent case to its logical conclusion. Saad’s ordeal must become a source of hope for everyone who has faced abuse at the hands of the system. Saad, our family, and I are deeply grateful for all the support and encouragement. The fight will continue. #ReleaseSaad

What has happened to @hafizsaadriaz? Part of my statement in his defence: "Saad has invited me to be interviewed on his EON podcast several times. He has also contributed an essay (on the Pakistani media’s coverage of floods in the country) to Critical Muslim.

اب انتہائی خطرناک اور تشویشناک حقائق سامنے آ رہے ہیں۔ کچھ جاننے والوں کے مطابق حافظ سعد ریاض کو ایک ایس ایچ او نے ذاتی رنجش کی بنا پر اتنے سنگین الزام میں نامزد کر کے ایف آئی آر دی کہ اس کا القاعدہ سے تعلق ہے۔ یہ ایک ایسا الزام ہے جس کے بعد انسان ساری زندگی مشکوک ہو جاتا ہے۔ جبکہ اطلاعات کے مطابق اس اس کیس میں اصل وجہ ایک سی ٹی ڈی افسر کی @hafizsaadriaz سے اس لئے ذاتی رنجش تھی کیونکہ سعد ایرانی پراکسیز کیخلاف لکھتا تھا۔ اداروں سے اور حکومت سے درخواست ہے کہ ان معاملات کا سختی سے نوٹس لیں اور اگر کوئی سرکاری افسر اس طرح کی حرکات کہ ذاتی رنجش پر لوگوں پر دہشتگردی کے الزام لگا کر اپنے اختیار کا غلط استعمال کر رہا اس کو عبرت کا نشان بنائیں۔ خدارا عام عوام کو پڑھے لکھے لوگوں کو آزاد معاشرے میں آزاد سوچ کے ساتھ جینے دیں سعد کو جینے دو #ReleaseHafizSaadRiaz

Hi all, Calling out Dawn for a straight-up journalistic failure. Since when does Dawn copy-paste the versions of notorious departments like CTD and call it reporting? No call, no verification, no family position, nothing. Just a one-sided story that plays directly into a fabricated case. Our statements were public. The facts, documents, and visual evidence were a phone call away. You chose not to pick it up. I’d not call it an oversight, this is negligence at min., complicity at worst. You’ve taken a fellow young journalist at his lowest point and helped frame him instead of doing the bare minimum your profession demands. Fix this. Put our side on record. Or own the fact that you chose convenience over truth. @dawn_com dawn.com/news/1997111

@_AzeemButt بٹ صاحب اسے ذاتی رنجش نہیں بلکہ سرکاری اختیارات کا فرقہ ورانہ استعمال کہا جائے گا۔ میرا ایک کزن بھی اسی رنجش کی بھینٹ چڑھ چکا ہے