YouTuber held for ‘recruiting individuals for al-Qaeda’

LAHORE: The Counter Terrorism Department has arrested a YouTuber for recruiting individuals for a banned outfit and registered a case against him under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

The FIR identified the suspect as Muhammad Saad bin Riaz, associated with YouTube channel named Eon News. A case has been registered against him on behalf of the state under Section 11F(2), pertaining to membership and support of a proscribed organisation and Section 11W, which relates to the dissemination of material linked to banned groups.

According to FIR, the arrest was made on April 27 during a search operation near GPO Chowk on Mall Road.

“After getting information from a source that a suspected al-Qaeda member was present at a mosque, Hanfia Ghusia Mughal Saraiy, opposite to Lytton Road, he was caught recruiting individuals and distributing prohibited material.”

During the raid, officials claimed to have recovered five copies of a book about Osama bin Laden from his custody along with an al-Qaeda membership card.

Meanwhile, the CTD claimed to have arrested 21 suspected members of banned organisations within this week and foiled planned terrorist activities in different districts.

According to a CTD spokesperson, the department conducted 214 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) across the province and questioned 215 suspects, leading to the arrest of 21 individuals.

Among those was a suspected member of Fitna-ul-Khawarij identified as Peer Shams arrested from Lahore and an alleged Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) operative Abdul Lateef apprehended from Toba Tek Singh.

The spokesperson said the suspects were arrested during IBOs in various districts including Lahore, Sheikhupura, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Jhang, Khanewal, Mianwali, Toba Tek Singh, Multan, Gujrat, Pakpattan and Bahawalpur.

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2026