ISLAMABAD: The government has declared YouTuber Adil Farooq Raja, who is also a former Pakistan Army officer and currently resides in the UK, a proscribed person under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

“The federal government has reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Adil Farooq Raja has been demonstrating his sustained involvement in activities posing a serious threat to the security, integrity, and public order of Pakistan.

“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,” read the notification declaring the YouTuber a proscribed person.

The notification was issued by the interior ministry and is dated December 27.

It said, “In exercise of powers conferred by Section 11ee of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, the federal government is pleased to direct to list Mr Adil Farooq Raja in the Fourth Schedule to the said Act as a proscribed person for the purposes of the said Act.”

The notification was issued after the federal cabinet approved the summary for Raja‘s proscription, the summary for which had been submitted by the interior ministry on December 23.

More to follow