PML-N activist arrested for running online campaign against Imran Khan gets bail
Mar 08, 2022
Islamabad [Pakistan], March 8 : A Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) activist, Sabir Hashmi arrested on the charges of "running a malicious campaign against Prime Minister Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi and the army on social media" gets bail after judge observed that inquiry was not done properly by the investigation agency.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) lodged a first information report (FIR) which alleged that abusive language was used against Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi and the army through his Twitter account.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) cybercrime wing had booked Hashmi under sections 20, 21 (d) and 24 of the Prevention of Electronic Crime Act (PECA).
However, an additional district and sessions court on Monday granted bail to the activist. In his order, Additional District & Sessions Judge Rai Yasin Shaheen observed, "I have gone through the record available on the file minutely where no objectionable, derogatory or abusive tweets were found against the prime minister and the Pakistan army."
Furthermore, the judge noted that some retweets were made by the suspect/petitioner saying that they were first tweeted by some other person, reported Dawn.
The FIA lodged the FIR without conducting an inquiry into the case, the judge observed. The judge noted that the investigating officer failed to probe the claim of the petitioner regarding the alleged misuse of his Twitter account.
Additional District & Sessions Judge Rai Yasin Shaheen observed that the petitioner was no longer required by the agency adding that the investigation had already been concluded and the prosecution was yet to establish the allegations through evidence.
The PECA amendment ordinance makes it a criminal act to slander any organisation, institution set up by the government, further increasing the punishment of three years imprisonment for guilty to five years.
