Senior journalist, vloggers booked for inciting violence

ISLAMABAD: The federal capital police have registered an FIR against Washington-based journalist Shaheen Sehbai and three vloggers – Syed Haider Raza Mehdi, Wajahat Saeed Khan and Major (r) Adil Farooq Raja -- under sedition charges.

The FIR (406/23) was lodged by the Ramna Police Station on the complaint of a citizen -- Mohammad Aslam -- under sections 120-B, 121, 121-A, 131 of the PPC and parts of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).

The complainant’s written application claims that those nominated in the FIR were involved in inciting people on May 9 -- through video messages and writings -- into attacking sensitive military installations to create anarchy in the country.

When contacted by The News, Islamabad IGP Dr Akbar Nasir said that the FIR had been registered against the suspects on the complaint of a citizen per law. He added that those involved in inciting the public to attack sensitive installations would be dealt with according to the law.

Legal experts have said that the charges framed against the suspects under the sedition and terrorism offences are punishable with death and life imprisonment. For example, Section 120/B of the PPC says that “Whoever is a party to a criminal conspiracy to commit an offence punishable with death, imprisonment for life or rigorous imprisonment for a term of two years or upwards, shall, where no express provision is made in this Code for the punishment of such a conspiracy, be punished in the same manner as if he had abetted such offence.”The other sections under which those named in the FIR have been nominated also read similarly.