Sydney man's brother arrested after he posts Pakistan criticism
A Sydney resident's brother was arrested in Pakistan after he posted criticism of Pakistan's politics on X.
Salman Shabbir was home in Sydney when his phone rang at dawn on 15 March 2024. Salman Shabbir's sister-in-law was screaming.
Men had come to their home in Pakistan and were taking his brother. Hours later, callers demanded Shabbir stop posting about Pakistan's politics on his X account.
When he refused, they said they would keep his brother detained. They claimed they tortured him during the call.
Shabbir says he received multiple calls with changing demands: first three months offline, then one month, then five days. Police call this transnational repression, when governments or their agents silence critics by threatening or harming their families abroad.
A Senate inquiry into the practice began in September.
- Sydney
- Critic's location
- 15 March 2024
- Brother's arrest date
- 11 years
- Years since leaving Pakistan
- Citizen Action
- Account name
Why it mattersIt reveals how speaking freely from Australia can put relatives still living overseas at physical risk, even when the critic is thousands of kilometres away and safe.
AustraliaAn Australian Senate inquiry is now examining how foreign governments target diaspora communities in Australia and their families abroad, part of growing concern about transnational repression affecting Australian residents.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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