FIA arrests two for running ‘anti-state’ social media group

RAWALPINDI: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested two suspects involved in anti-state activities and busted a secret social media center active in outskirts of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, the agency said.

The FIA Cyber Crime Circle has initiated a drive against the elements involved in anti-state activities, targeting Armed Forces and their attached intelligence agencies to create division between the army and public through social media, an FIA spokesperson said.

The arrested suspects were involved in disseminating fabricated and fictitious news against the armed forces. The FIA busted the centre running a WhatApp group. The suspects used the secret place for spreading telltale stories, doctored pictures and videos etc against top ranking officers of the Armed Forces and intelligence agencies, and recovered the equipment, including mobile phones.

The arrested suspects identified as Yasir Arafat and Irfan Abbas, were apprehended from Rawat and Gujar Khan, the FIA maintained, adding that suspect Irfan shared content against armed forces personnel in WhatsApp groups.

The Cybercrime Circle has lodged first information report (FIR) against the alleged anti-state actors under sections 6/7/10 (a)/ 20 and 24 of Peca 2016.

“The Cyber Crime Reporting Centre in Rawalpindi, received information from a reliable source that a man identified as Irfan Abbas son of Muhammad Afsar, resident of Tarail. Dak Khana Shah Bagh, Tehsil Kallar Syedan Rawalpindi, was found using his WhatsApp account to coerce, intimidate, and create a sense of fear, panic, and insecurity in the government and public by spreading derogatory remarks against army officials and disseminating false and fabricated news. This included investigating news that the army had lost the wars of Siachen and Kargil, and that an army general had allegedly destroyed the country. He also incited hatred and spread misinformation in the WhatsApp group and passed derogatory remarks and edited videos of armed officials on his mobile phone. Irfan Abbass is currently at Khan Bannu Pulao located at T-Chowk, Rawat, Rawalpindi,” read the FIR.