Banned outfit using latest technology to outwit FIA

Sunday, July 12, 2009 By By Mazhar Tufail

ISLAMABAD: The Cyber Crime wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) closed down the website of the banned Hizb-ut-Tahrir, but the UK-based outfit has restarted its campaign through a short message service (SMS) on cellular networks besides launching a new website with a slight change in its universal resource locator (URL). According to an official of the FIA Cyber Crime wing, requesting anonymity, the website of the banned outfit with URL of was closed down by the FIA after a report was published in The News regarding the misuse of cellular services and cyberspace by Hizb a few weeks ago. This correspondent again received an SMS from the banned outfit, criticising the government for closure of its website and describing the step as suppression of the freedom of expression. The SMS, sent by media office of the banned organisation, also carried a new URL: http://www.hizb-pakistan.info/. When The News drew the FIA official’s attention towards the new website of the Hizb, he said they were working to shut down the new website as well. He said that they were, however, facing some problems in this regard because the banned outfit was using the most modern technology to propagate its agenda. An official of a prime intelligence agency told The News that Hizb was using an Afghanistan-based satellite system. He said it was also receiving technical assistance from the same team that was behind the FM radio transmission of Baitullah Mehsud-led Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan in Swat and elsewhere. “Hizb-ut-Tahrir is also receiving active cooperation from the Afghan Taliban and is using the most modern equipment,” he said.