Press Release
Abduction of Spokesperson by Pakistani Authorities Delegation to Pakistani High Commission in Canberra Demands Immediate Release

A delegation from Hizb ut Tahrir in Australia visited the Pakistani High Commission in Canberra today to deliver a letter in relation to the abduction of its media spokesperson in Pakistan, Naveed Butt.

It has now been almost eight months since Naveed Butt was abducted by Pakistani state agencies in May 2011 from Lahore in front of his children as he took them home from school. Naveed Butt, a father a four and an engineer by profession, has for many years been a staunch opponent of successive Pakistani governments for their corruption and servitude of America and espoused an alternative forward-looking Islamic Caliphate system for Pakistan. It was for these political views and his work for Hizb ut Tahrir that he was abducted.

The delegation - comprising of Uthman Badar, Wassim Doureihi, Harun Bakhsh and Shahid ul-Hoque - was met by Mr. Tasawur Khan, Deputy High Commisioner who refused to accept anything on grounds that the Government of Pakistan does not recognise Hizb ut Tahrir. He was informed that Hizb ut Tahrir does not recognise the Government of Pakistan either - a corrupt and illegitimate government as far as Islam is concerned. The delegation conveyed its strong condemnation of Naveed Butt's abduction and its demand for his immediate release before the Deputy High Commissioner stormed off. The letter was subsequently left in the High Commission's mailbox.

The letter, written by close relatives of Naveed on behalf of his family, demanded the immediate release of Naveed Butt and punishment of those who abducted him, emphasising that these sorts of cheap fear tactics will not push Naveed or them away from standing with those who work for positive change in Pakistan on the basis of Islam and from exposing the traitors within the civilian and military leadership who have sold themselves to America.

 The Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Australia

Contact: Uthman Badar, Media Representative, on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it." target="_blank" style="color: #000000;">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 0438 000 465.