Police seek to auction assets of Adil Raja

RAWALPINDI: The RawalpindipPolice have initiated the process of auctioning the assets of major (retd) Adil Farooq Raja, a former army officer who was convicted and sentenced by a military court for espionage and inciting sedition.

According to sources, the SHO of Naseerabad police station has filed an application in a local court, seeking permission to auction the properties of Raja, who has been absconding abroad for over a year to evade arrest.

The application lists the assets of Raja, which include two plots, two vehicles and a flat, and requested the court to issue an order for their disposal.

Raja, along with Captain (retd) Haider Raza Mehdi, was found guilty by a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) under the Pakistan Army Act, 1952 and the Official Secrets Act, 1923, for violating the provisions related to espionage and acts prejudicial to the safety and interest of the state.

The military court sentenced Raja to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment and Mehdi to 12 years of rigorous imprisonment on October 7 and 9, 2023, respectively.

The court also forfeited their ranks and confiscated their personal movable and immovable properties. Their bank accounts, passports and national identity cards were also frozen and cancelled, and their names were put on the exit control list.

Adil Raja, Mehdi convicted for sedition

Raja, a staunch supporter of former prime minister Imran Khan and a vocal critic of the establishment, had been living in London for some time. He was also associated with the US-based International Human Rights Foundation as its Pakistan representative.

Mehdi, who was also a blogger and a social media activist, had been residing in Canada. Both of them were tried in absentia and were provided with legal counsel.

The ISPR, the media wing of the Pakistan Army, had said that both the retired officers were charged under the Pakistan Penal Code, the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act and the Anti-Terrorism Act for sedition, defamation, offence against the state, terrorism and incitement to violence, and the court found them guilty.