The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Saturday swung into action as it has formally registered 115 inquiries and issued notices to 65 persons for spreading false information about the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) and the state institution. According to reports, notices have also been issued to 47 vloggers and TV talk shows’ hosts. In this connection, first two hearings will be held on January 30 and January 31. The recent steps show that the Authority is taking the matter seriously. Drawing attention towards what he called an organized and malicious campaign against the Supreme Court judges being run on social media, from within the country as well as abroad, Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi on Monday showed the resolve that he would not spare a single person involved in it.

Addressing a press conference, Solangi had said that although courts’ verdicts were a public property, neither the constitution nor the law allowed such a defamation campaign. On January 17, the caretaker government had formed a five-member joint investigation team (JIT) to “ascertain facts behind a malicious social media campaign” against Supreme Court judges. The JIT — formed under Section 30 (power to investigate) of the controversial Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) 2016 — will be convened by the additional director general of the Federal Investiga­tion Agency’s (FIA) cybercrime wing, according to an interior ministry notification.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)