JIT grills Omar Ayub, other PTI leaders over 'anti-state propaganda'

ISLAMABAD: A Joint Investigation Team (JIT), constituted by the federal government to investigate malicious social media campaigns, Thursday grilled members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) over allegations of spreading anti-state propaganda on digital platforms.

Opposition leader Omar Ayub joined the JIT probe, sources said on Thursday.

The JIT, led by Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ali Nasir Rizvi, had summoned 15 senior PTI leaders and 10 members of the party’s social media team for questioning. Some of the leaders and media activists appeared before the JIT.

Among the top PTI members summoned were: PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Hammad Azhar, Salman Akram Raja, Raoof Hasan, Asad Qaiser, Aun Abbas, Waqas Akram, Firdous Shamim Naqvi, Khalid Khurshid Khan, Aliya Hamza, Kanwal Shauzab, Taimoor Saleem Khan, Shah Farman, Shahbaz Shabbir, and Mian Muhammad Aslam.

Additionally, the JIT also issued notices to PTI’s social media team members, including Asif Rasheed, Muhammad Arshad, Sibghatullah Warq, Azhar Mashwani, Muhammad Nauman Afzal, Jibran Ilyas, Salman Raza Zaidi, Zulfi Bukhari, Moosa Warq, and Ali Husnain Malik.

Sources confirmed that Omar Ayub was questioned about party-linked social media handles and were shown specific posts deemed anti-state or critical of Pakistan’s military and key institutions. The JIT reportedly asked probing questions regarding the intent, authorship, and circulation of these posts.

On Wednesday, no PTI leader or social media activist had joined the investigation, and the JIT penal kept waiting till Iftar time, sources said.

“The members were grilled on social media content related to the Pakistan Army and state institutions,” said an insider familiar with the investigation.

Additionally, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar and other party leaders were also questioned about party finances, hinting at a broader probe beyond digital campaigns.

According to sources, the JIT has once again summoned PTI founder chairman Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, regarding the issue of negative propaganda on social media. The JIT directed Aleema Khan to appear in person on March 14, 2025, as she failed to appear before the JIT on Thursday.

Director of FIA’s Cybercrime Wing, Director of FIA’s Counter-Terrorism Wing, DIG Investigation Islamabad, Senior Superintendent of Counter-Terrorism Department Islamabad, IG Islamabad Police (Head of the JIT) are included in JIT.