Hizb ut-Tahrir held demonstrations in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar against the kidnapping and torture of its worker, Arsalan Qamar. Twenty-one year Arsalan Qamar is a computer engineer and a vibrant activist for the establishment of Khilafah. Two sleuths of a government agency kidnapped Arsalan on Friday 2nd April at 5 p.m. when he was about to enter a bus at University road, Karachi. He was forcibly abducted and transferred to a black Prado jeep.

Then he was handcuffed and severely tortured. He was asked to identify Hizb’s shabab but he remained steadfast and refused to answer any question. In order to break his determination they forced him to inhale some intoxicant powder, which made him partially unconscious, but even then government thugs failed to break his determination. Arsalan was shuttled and severely tortured for about two hours, later they took him to a deserted place at Super highway near toll plaza. They placed a hood over his head, kneeled him down and in order to scare him fired two shots. Eventually they get tired and run away leaving him behind. Against this state-terrorism demonstrators were caring banners and play cards stating “O Oppressor Rulers! Torture of worker of Hizb ut-Tahrir, Arsalan, will not prevent the establishment of Khilafah”. Addressing the demonstrators, speakers said that only crime of Arsalan is that, that he is a worker of Hizb ut-Tahrir, which works to re-establish Khilafah and unite the Muslim lands leading it to become a strong Islamic state. They said that this ridiculous action shows the government’s failure to stop the peaceful intellectual and political struggle of Hizb ut-Tahrir and they are worried with its growing popularity. For the last fifty-seven years Hizb has been facing these ridiculous tactics with bravery, they added. Despite these persecutions, Hizb’s expansion in more than forty Muslim countries shows the failure of treacherous ruler’s plan. Speakers said that rulers and their paid agencies should decide whether they put their efforts to fulfil the prophecy of Mohammad (s.a.w.w) “and once again Khilafah will be established on the footsteps of Prophethood” (Musnad Ahmed) or to put futile efforts in trying to stop it. Speakers called upon the sincere elements in the people of power to support Hizb ut-Tahrir in order to establish KHizb and to fulfil the prophecy of Mohammad (s.a.w.w).  After the demonstration, the participants dispersed peacefully.

Shahzad Shaikh

Deputy Spokesman of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Pakistan