ISLAMABAD: FIA on Saturday allegedly arrested some people to question them regarding their suspicious social media activity and later released them.
However according to a local media outlet, this action was taken by the Counter-Terrorism Wing of the FIA instead of its Cyber Crime Wing. However the people were later released and no formal charges were filed against them.
According to reports suspected social media users were arrested from all over the world. More arrests are likely to follow.
Reportedly, around 22 people, mostly belonging to PTI and the PML-N, were taken into custody by the FIA however the figure is not yet confirmed.
PTI vice-president Shah Mahmood Qureshi visited FIA Headquarters on Sunday to see how the arrested PTI members are being kept. Later, talking to the media, he said: “We stand by our [detained] activists and their families. They have not been nominated in any FIR specifically.” He also added: “Freedom of expression and democracy go hand-in-hand.” He also denied charges for which the activists had been arrested.
The PPP while strongly criticising this move said that increasing misuse by the state of the cyber crime law as evidenced in the intimidation and harassment of social media activists for allegedly criticising national security policies was a matter of serious concern and should be stopped.
Spokesperson Senator Farhatullah Babar, in a statement issued on Sunday said: “Misuse and overuse of blanket orders issued last week by the interior ministry to take action against social media platforms in the name of national security is not acceptable.”
“Silencing political dissent in the name of security or ideology is not acceptable. It is disturbing that in a short span of time nearly one thousand cases have been registered against social media platforms.”
“In addition, provisions of the cyber crime legislation have been arbitrarily interpreted to impose new restrictions on the right to freedom of expression in the name of national security,” he said.
Federal Investigation Agency has reportedly compiled a list of 33 social media users on Friday for carrying out propaganda against the Pakistan Army.
The federal agency has completed its investigations and finished compiling a list of social media users who are spreading hate content against the COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa and the Army.
Reportedly the list has been transferred to anti-terrorism wing and it is yet to be found if these users are associated with non-state actors.
The list comes days after the Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan directed FIA to take action against those involved in anti-army propaganda. He issued directives in this regard on May 14. He said that while freedom of expression can be guaranteed, people should know that the constitution, armed forces and state organisations should not be criticised and no one should be found involved in tarnishing the repute of these institutions.
These directives were issued after the government and the army reached a settlement over Dawn Leaks.