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January 27, 2025 – Pakistani –
Razish Liaqatpuri—a prominent Seraiki-language journalist, author, and former editorial-in-charge at the daily Khabrian—was detained in late January 2025 by Rahim Yar Khan police amid a raid at his home in Liaqatpur. Authorities held him in undisclosed custody for over three days before formally charging him with terrorism-related offenses.
According to the FIR filed January 25 at City A Division Police Station, Liaqatpuri allegedly shared a video clip on Facebook titled “To murder Punjabi officers was legal.” The post purportedly referred to tensions between language communities and included inflammatory remarks perceived as incitement to violence against government officials. Charges included violations of the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act (1997), the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Act, and relevant sections of the Penal Code.
The detainment sparked alarm among Liaqatpur’s journalist community and advocates for Seraiki language rights, who viewed it as politically motivated retaliation against his advocacy.
However, on January 28, an Anti-Terrorism Court in Bahawalpur dismissed all terrorism charges and ordered his immediate release, stating that the prosecution had failed to present “solid, cogent, reliable, and inspiring evidence” linking him to any offenses. As of now, Liaqatpuri remains free unless new charges emerge.
This incident illustrates the complex dynamics of identity and political dissent within Pakistan’s media landscape: a journalist advocating for linguistic and regional recognition briefly faced severe charges on questionable grounds. Though cleared, the case raises concerns about the misuse of anti-terrorism and electronic crimes laws to silence dissent and intimidate regional voices. Without proper legal safeguards, such actions risk chilling freedom of expression under the guise of public order and national security.
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