ISLAMABAD: A Joint Investigation Team (JIT), formed by the federal government to investigate “malicious campaigns on social media,” questioned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members on Friday over allegations of spreading anti-state propaganda online.
The JIT — led by Islamabad Inspector General of Police Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi — had issued notices to 15 members of the former ruling party, but sources informed Geo News that only three party members appeared before the body.
Apart from the three leaders, two members of the party’s finance department also appeared before the investigation team. Meanwhile, Alia Hamza and Kanwal Shauzab were represented by their lawyer, Dr Ali Imran.
Among those summoned by the JIT were PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Hammad Azhar, Salman Akram Raja, Raoof Hasan, Asad Qaiser, Aun Abbas, and Waqas Akram. Others include Firdous Shamim Naqvi, Khalid Khurshid Khan, Aliya Hamza, Kanwal Shauzab, Taimoor Saleem Khan, Shah Farman, Shehbaz Shabbir, and Mian Muhammad Aslam.
The JIT had also issued summons to 10 members of PTI’s social media team, including Asif Rasheed, Muhammad Arshad, Sibghatullah Warq, Azhar Mashwani, Muhammad Nauman Afzal, Jibran Ilyas, Syed Salman Raza Zaidi, Zulfi Bukhari, Moosa Warq, and Ali Husnain Malik.
Sources said on Friday that the summoned PTI members were grilled regarding the party’s social media handles. Strong questions were asked about social media posts related to the Pakistan Army and state institutions, they added.
PTI leaders were shown anti-state posts on social media, added the sources.
Separately, Barrister Gohar and others were also asked questions about party financing.
Last year in July, the federal government constituted a five-member JIT to probe organised anti-state malicious social media campaigns.
The JIT was constituted under Section 30 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) 2016, and included the Federal Investigation Agency’s cybercrime director, FIA counter-terrorism wing director, DIG investigation Islamabad and senior superintendent of the Counter Terrorism Department Islamabad.
As per the terms of reference of the JIT, it will investigate and determine the objectives of the accused and their accomplices who have allegedly created chaos and disorder in Pakistan through malicious social media campaigns.
