Feb 7, 2025
Staff Report
LAHORE
A close relative of jailed rights activist Idris Khattak has allegedly received threats over his activism on human rights violations in Pakistan.
“I recently received troubling threats whose source i suspect seemed to be within security agencies in Pakistan,” said Roshaan, speaking to Voicepk. Roshaan is a PhD student at the University of Cambridge. “The intimidation began shortly after I organized a major online conference speaking out for my cousin Idris Khattak. It was very soon followed by more warnings around my efforts in drafting a Transnational Repression Bill after a Balochistan parliamentary hearing in the UK.”
The threats were communicated to Roshaan Khattak through a message from a newly created X (formerly Twitter) account under the name ‘Ali Ahmed.’
“You should know that staying away from criticising our military in foreign parliaments, online seminars, international platforms, and [the] UN would ensure the safety of your family,” the message read.
Background
Idris Khattak was kidnapped by plainclothes men from the Swabi Motorway in November 2019, after which he was declared a missing person for the following months. After a significant outcry, however, from human rights groups, the Ministry of Defence in June 2020 admitted before the Peshawar High Court that Idris Khattak was in fact in military custody and facing a military trial under the Official Secrets Act.
Rights activists say that Khattak has been denied his right to a fair trial and was also subjected to torture during his incarceration. In December 2021, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison following a secret trial by a military court.
Human rights activists also claim that Khattak’s appeal against the military verdict, which declared him a “foreign agent,” has been blocked by military authorities. As a result, he continues to languish in prison while his health deteriorates due to harsh prison conditions.
Meanwhile, the threatening message sent to Roshaan also said that Idris Khattak’s release could ‘only be secured through silence’.
“Have mercy on them. Your cousin can only be released then. Hope you will consider. Don’t forget even Cambridge and [the] UK is not safe. For them, they can get anywhere—Sweden, Germany, Canada… Don’t be stupid.”
Threat Abroad
The reference to overseas threats is a stark reminder of incidents, especially in the recent past where exiled Baloch journalist Sajid Hussain and activist Karima Baloch, were both found dead under mysterious circumstances in Sweden and Canada, respectively.
Hussain went missing on 2 March 2020 and was found dead in the Fyris River, north of Uppsala, Sweden on 23 April. Meanwhile 37 year old Karima, was also a prominent Pakistani activist living in exile in Canada who was found dead in Toronto.
Initially, Roshaan says he remained silent about the threats. However, after consulting human rights defenders and journalist colleagues, he decided to go public.
He also wrote to Cambridge University authorities, apprising them of the situation and requesting assistance and safeguarding measures, but says that there was little help he received from them.
“Unfortunately, my requests for assistance and safeguarding measures at my college at Cambridge University have been met with silence and outright disregard,” he says. “Despite at least 15 requests to meet, the head of college has not given any time for a meeting. On at least four occasions—they cancelled meetings last-minute with no reasonable excuse. They have refused to institute any concrete safety protocols or work with law enforcement on my behalf,” he said.
Voicepk reached out to Cambridge Media Relations department for their comment on the issue, but no response has been received from them till the filing of this story.
Roshaan also reported the threats to UK police. However, according to him, the police have also failed to conduct a thorough investigation, assessing the situation without considering the broader context.
“It has become abundantly clear that Pakistani security agencies will continue to target those who voice dissent, operating with an alarming level of impunity,” he says.
In January 2025, the UK Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights launched an inquiry into the issue of transnational repression in the UK. The inquiry aims to examine how transnational repression affects the human rights of individuals living in the country and whether adequate support and protection exist for those at risk.
Roshaan said he would be part of the committee’s hearings and would also submit a draft of the bill addressing this issue.
“Ignoring such incidents, even when they affect just one individual, will only embolden other authoritarian states to carry out similar attacks, ultimately undermining the democratic credentials and security of these nations,” he adds.