Islamabad High Court restrains FIA from harassing PTI social media workers

Islamabad High Court restrains Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from harassing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) social media activists and w...

Islamabad High Court restrains Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from harassing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) social media activists and workers.

 

Chief Justice Athar Minallah conducted the hearing. File Photo: Islamabad High Court Website

Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard a petition filed by PTI leader Ali Nawaz against raids on the homes of the party social media activists.

 

Read more: Accused of campaigning on social media against Army Chief, accused sent to jail on remand

PTI leader Ali Nawaz Awan appeared before the court through his lawyer Faisal Chaudhry.

Chief Justice Athar Minallah said that you know how the court dealt with the FIA, to which lawyer Faisal Chaudhry said that it would not have happened if it had been accepted.

He said that those who were doing all this yesterday are with him today, maybe he is with them today, on which the Chief Justice smiled and had a conversation with Faisal Chaudhry and said that this is a meaningful thing you have done. ۔

Lawyer Faisal Chaudhry said that when the government was changed, operations were started against our workers. The FIA ​​conducted two raids on the house of social media head Dr Arsalan Khalid.

He said that what is the allegation, what is the FIR, under which law the raid was carried out, it is not known.

Chief Justice Atharmanullah said that if you had brought this petition even at night, we would have listened to it.

The Islamabad High Court summoned the FIA ​​Director Cyber ​​Crime Wing in person yesterday and ordered that the FIA ​​should not harass social media workers in any way.

READ ALSO: FIA cracks down on online campaigners, arrests 8

The court also directed the DG FIA to strictly enforce the SOP.

Islamabad High Court has stopped harassment of political party workers and social media activists and adjourned the hearing till 10 am tomorrow.

Later, PTI Secretary General Asad Umar said in a statement on Twitter, "Congratulations to all those who speak the truth on social media on the decision of the Islamabad High Court on the PTI petition." 

Earlier, in a petition filed in the Islamabad High Court, Ali Nawaz Awan had sidelined the Home Secretary, IG Islamabad Police, IG Punjab, DG FIA and DG FIA Cyber ​​Wing.

He took the position that illegal raids were being carried out on the homes of PTI social media workers, their families were also being harassed by raiding the houses of the workers.

The petition said that various cases have been registered against the PTI social media workers and action has been initiated against the workers at the behest of the ruling party.

Ali Nawaz Awan said that freedom of expression is a fundamental right of every citizen, which cannot be ignored.

The petition seeks to stop illegal harassment of party workers, order stern action against those who trespass on chador and fence on political grounds, and order illegal action against FIA and police. To be given

Read more: PTI decides to go to High Court against alleged harassment of its social media workers

It may be recalled that the FIA ​​had launched a crackdown on social media activists for allegedly campaigning against the army and its chief after former Prime Minister Imran Khan was ousted through a no-confidence motion.

The FIA ​​had arrested at least eight people from across Punjab who were suspected of being involved in a campaign against the army.

An FIA official told Dawn that they had arrested about eight suspects from different parts of Punjab, including Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad and Gujarat, in connection with a social media campaign against the army and judiciary. More arrests are expected in the coming days.

Earlier, in a meeting of Pakistan Army formations, the recent criticism of the institution on social media was also taken note of.

A statement from the ISPR said that the forum had taken note of the recent propaganda campaign by some quarters to discredit the Pakistan Army and create division between the institution and the society.