ISLAMABAD: The government has formed a joint investigation team (JIT) under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016, to probe individuals accused of spreading chaos in the country through a “malicious social media campaign,” according to an official notification that emerged on Saturday.
The development comes just days after the Pakistan Army’s spokesman, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, accused “digital terrorists” of making the military’s anti-terrorism efforts controversial on social media platforms in a veiled reference to former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
While the official notification does not mention the PTI, the government has also blamed Khan’s party for running “anti-state propaganda.”
“The Federal Government has been pleased to constitute a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) in terms of Section 30 of Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016,” the interior ministry notification dated July 26 announced.
PECA law aims to address cybercrimes and regulate electronic communications, covering offenses like unauthorized access to data, cyber terrorism, and the dissemination of false information.
The law is controversial due to concerns over its impact on freedom of speech, the potential for abuse of power by law enforcement and its broad definitions, which critics argue can be used to suppress dissent and target journalists and opposition parties.
The notification said the JIT would “investigate and determine the organized objectives of the accused and their accomplices who have created chaos and disorder in Pakistan through malicious social media campaign.”
It added it would “identify and prosecute the culprits” according to applicable laws.
PTI has frequently complained of a state crackdown since its top leaders and supporters were blamed for carrying out violent protests in different parts of the country in which government buildings were vandalized following Khan’s brief arrest on corruption charges last year in May.
Earlier this month, the party’s senior media manager Ahmed Waqas Janjua and its information secretary Raoof Hassan were arrested by the authorities who accused them of pushing “anti-state narrative” to undermine Pakistan.
The interior ministry notification said the JIT would be headed by Islamabad police chief and include senior officials of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) that, among other responsibilies, looks into cybercrimes.
