Adil Farooq Raja, a former army man turned YouTuber, has been placed on the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, by the federal government.
The government had “reasonable grounds” to suspect Raja of engaging in actions endangering Pakistan’s security, integrity, and public order, according to a notification released by the interior ministry on December 27.
“He has consistently misused online platforms to promote, facilitate, and amplify anti-state narratives and propaganda associated with proscribed terrorist organisations, thereby acting in a manner prejudicial to the sovereignty and defence of Pakistan,” the notification said.
The Anti-Terrorism Act’s Section 11EE, which gives the federal government the authority to put people on the Fourth Schedule as proscribed persons, was cited as the basis for the decision.
A summary of Raja’s proscription was authorized by the federal cabinet before the notification was sent out. On December 23, the interior ministry provided the summary.
Raja is a former Pakistan Army officer and currently resides in the United Kingdom. He runs a YouTube channel and has described himself publicly as a whistleblower.
About 20 days earlier, UK High Commissioner Jane Marriott received the extradition paperwork for Raja and former prime minister Shahzad Akbar from Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
Before that, Naqvi had said that authorities would seek the repatriation of UK-based YouTubers who were allegedly targeting state institutions and had initiated a crackdown on people spreading what the government referred to as “fake news.”
Reacting to the developement, Raja wrote in a post on X: “They may call the British High Commissioner to complain, but such a complaint is itself unlawful under UK statutes, as we have committed no wrongdoing.”
Earlier this month, a London high court ordered Raja to pay £350,000 in damages and legal costs after ruling that he had defamed a former intelligence officer through allegations of corruption and electoral interference.
In 2023, Raja was sentenced to 14 years in prison following a Field General Court Martial on charges of inciting sedition and was stripped of his military rank.
After PTI founder Imran Khan was arrested, Islamabad police accused Raja and another YouTuber from the UK, retired Captain Haider Raza Mehdi, of inciting unrest and attacks on military installations.
The military’s media affairs wing did not directly connect the court martial proceedings to the events of May 9, 2023.