Press Release
Naveed Butt's Family Holds Press Conference Naveed Butt's Abduction: Two Years, Too Much! He Must Be Released Immediately

Today, the wife of Naveed Butt, Advocate Sadia Rahat and other members of his family held a press conference at the Islamabad Press Club. Advocate Sadia Rahat briefed the media regarding Naveed Butt's abduction and the judicial process that has taken place since his abduction on 11th May 2012, two years ago.

Advocate Sadia Rahat said that Naveed Butt was abducted by government agencies two years ago and so far, his whereabouts are unknown. He was abducted because he is a spokesman in Wilayah Pakistan of a global Islamic political party, Hizb ut Tahrir. Since his abduction, his family has not been given an opportunity to see him and often her young children, who witnessed his abduction, suddenly awake, crying in the middle of the night and asking when their father will come back. And this severe injustice and oppression is taking place in a country which was created on the basis of "لا إله إلا الله".

Advocate Sadia Rahat briefed the media regarding the judicial process so far took place since his abduction. He told that just after his abduction on 11th May 2012, a Constitutional Petition was filed in Islamabad High Court. The Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court issued notices to respondents including the Director-General (DG) Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and DG Military Intelligence (MI) and ordered them to produce Naveed Butt on the next hearing. Also a F.I.R. 12/566 was registered in Liaqatabad, Lahore police station which included DG ISI and DG MI as accused. The admission of DGs ISI and MI as accused in a civilian court is a first in Pakistani legal history.

But after few hearings Islamabad High Court suddenly refused to further hear the case on a plea that since this incident happened in Lahore and its FIR is also registered their so Lahore High Court has the jurisdiction to hear this case. We challenged this judgment in Supreme Court of Pakistan but they upheld the decision of the Islamabad High Court.

Since June 2013, this case is under proceeding in Lahore High Court but so far no serious progress has taken place. So it appears after pressurizing the Islamabad High Court regarding a case which could have been a historical precedent, the agencies succeeded in allowing the case to rot in a legal graveyard. This is evidence that the regime does not have a word of truth on its side, as it fears the propagation of Naveed's call in court and having to answer for its injustice.

Advocate Sadia Rahat and the family members of Naveed Butt asked the government to secure his release, as he has neither committed any crime nor he is wanted in any criminal case, rather he is a respectable and highly qualified engineer working to free Pakistan and its people from the shackles of American hegemony and to provide them an opportunity to live under the shade of Islam, so he must be released immediately.

And Hizb ut Tahrir in the Wilayah of Pakistan assures the Muslims that it will not slow down in its efforts to secure the Khilafah "Caliphate", for fear of the tyrants. It asserts that the day is not far inshaaAllah that the Khilafah "Caliphate" will return to the lands of Pakistan, the Pure, the Good, and Naveed Butt will be hoisted on the shoulders of Muslims to welcome it. Allah (swt) said,

[أَتَخْشَوْنَهُمْ فَاللَّهُ أَحَقُّ أَنْ تَخْشَوْهُ إِنْ كُنتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ]

"Do you fear them, Allah is more worthy to be fearful of, if you are Believers." [Surah At-Tawba 9:13]

Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Wilayah Pakistan