Raja Faisal
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf intends to respond collectively to the matter of arrests of its social media activists by Federal Investigation Authority. It comes after multiple arrests of activists under the Cyber Crime Law.
PTI spokesperson Fawad Hussain Chaudhry stated that “ongoing victimisation of the party’s social media activists will not be tolerated”. He mentioned that few days ago he tweeted his personal email address for the purpose of being aware of the situation. In response, he received hundreds of emails not only from Pakistan but from abroad too.
“I was not expecting the volume of emails I received. This is surely alarming. I don’t know where the youth of this nation is being dragged to with such kind of political tactics being used by the ruling party.”
He further mentioned that the activists were getting threatening calls and were being told to remove the posts or else face the dire consequences. One of the emails he received was from an individual living in Birmingham, who was threatened to be arrested from airport on his arrival. He specifically mentioned a minor student who shared an image on his Facebook wall which mocked the government. He told that his father, who is a government employee himself, received a call from FIA and was told to remove the post with warning to face consequences. Another email from an MPhil student from Kirk, said that he was facing a case in Islamabad on cyber crime charges and he was worried about coming to Islamabad as his examinations were approaching.
Chaudhry mentioned that he personally met Salar Kakar, an activist from Quetta, who was arrested and brought to Islamabad by FIA. He added “though Kakar was not physically harmed by FIA yet he was psychologically tortured”.
Fawad Hussain Choudhry, who himself is a lawyer, pledged to file a case in coming week in high court against the victimisation of his party activists. He further said that PTI Islamabad will stage a protest in front of FIA headquarters against the threatening calls and arrests.
Earlier, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar had directed the FIA to take action against those involved in vilification of the army on social media in the midst of Dawn leaks.