Adil Raja, a former Pakistani army major and journalist now based in the UK, has publicly appealed to prominent Pakistani journalist Imran Riaz Khan via an open letter dated October 22, 2025, urging him to provide a witness statement in Raja’s ongoing appeal against a defamation judgment in London’s Royal Courts of Justice, filed by retired Brigadier Rashid Naseer, a former ISI officer whom Riaz has accused of orchestrating his 2023 abduction and torture.
The High Court ruled against Raja on October 9, 2025, imposing a £350,000 penalty for defamatory statements, prompting his appeal where Riaz’s testimony could confirm public allegations of Naseer’s involvement in kidnappings and harassment, which Naseer denied during the trial as unrelated to ISI operations.
Raja emphasizes that Riaz’s electronic submission, without needing in-person appearance, would not only aid his case but also create a historical judicial record in the fight against authoritarianism, while apologizing for past misunderstandings and stressing unity for truth and justice. Below is the full text of the open letter as posted by Raja:
Open Letter to Imran Riaz Khan:
Dear Imran Riaz Khan,
Assalam-o-Alaikum.
I am writing this open letter to you with the utmost humility, sincerity, and respect — as a fellow Pakistani, as a journalist, and as someone who has also paid a heavy personal price for speaking the truth.
As you know, I am currently fighting a defamation case in the Royal Courts of Justice in London, filed by a serving Brigadier of the ISI in June 2022 with the permission of the Army Chief and DGISI as per his own admission in the court, whom you have yourself publicly named multiple times as the very man responsible for your abduction and torture in Pakistan.
Imran Bhai, this is not just my personal legal battle. It has become part of a much larger struggle — a fight for freedom, democracy, and truth, being waged not in Islamabad or Lahore, but in the heart of London — in a court system often called the “libel tourism capital of the world.”
For years, authoritarian forces have used these courts to silence dissenting voices abroad. But this time, we have a rare opportunity to set the record straight — through the truth itself.
I am making this humble request to you:
Please come forward and provide your witness statement — truthfully and honestly — confirming the facts you have already shared publicly on your own platforms, regarding your ordeal and the individual responsible.
This testimony can be submitted electronically to the court through my legal team — you do not have to appear in person at this stage.
There are now only four days left before I must submit my final appeal. Time is very short.
Imran Bhai, this is not about me — it’s about our shared cause. About the freedom of speech and the dignity of every journalist and Pakistani who refuses to be silenced by intimidation.
Your witness statement, once submitted, will not just help my appeal — it will become part of UK judicial record, a historical document that future generations will refer to when they study how truth and courage stood against fascism.
I want to also take this opportunity to apologize again if any of my reporting in the past has caused you hurt or misunderstanding. I assure you that it was never my intent. We may have had differences, but I believe both of us have stood — in our own ways — for the same principles of truth and justice.
Sometimes personal disputes, misunderstandings, and egos can come between people who actually stand on the same side of history. But I believe this is the moment to rise above all that. Pakistan is in pain, and those who have suffered for speaking the truth must stand together, not apart.
Imran Bhai, this is not a favour to me. You do not owe it to me personally.
But you owe it to the truth, to the nation that believes in you, and to the millions who have followed your voice in the hope that it stands firmly for justice. Your statement will not only strengthen the truth in this case — it will echo in history as an act of courage and conscience. May Allah guide us both to do what is right — for our nation, for our people, and for the truth that outlives us all. With sincere respect and prayers,
Imran Bhai, this is not a favour to me. You do not owe it to me personally.
But you owe it to the truth, to the nation that believes in you, and to the millions who have followed your voice in the hope that it stands firmly for justice. Your statement will not only strengthen the truth in this case — it will echo in history as an act of courage and conscience. May Allah guide us both to do what is right — for our nation, for our people, and for the truth that outlives us all. With sincere respect and prayers,
Adil Raja
London, United Kingdom
(Open Letter — 22nd October 2025)
