Raid in Banigala Jaffar Express propaganda suspect remanded in FIA custody

ISLAMABAD: A suspect, Haider Saeed, has been handed over to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on a three-day physical remand following his arrest for alleged “anti-state-campaign” on social media about the recent Jaffar Express terrorist attack.

FIA officials presented the suspect in the court of Senior Civil Judge Mohammad Abbas Shah, requesting his eight days’ physical remand. However, the court handed him over to the FIA on a three-day physical on March 20.

An FIA spokesperson said in a statement that the suspect, Haider Saeed, was arrested during a raid in Banigala for “spreading a hate campaign against state institutions”.

The suspect had “shared negative propaganda and derogatory content against institutions during the Jaffar Express tragedy”, the statement added.

The FIA further alleged his involvement in “supporting and promoting banned terrorist organisations on social media” and said that the suspect was “not only running a poisonous campaign against state institutions but also kept sharing inflammatory statements and content in favour of terrorists”.

An investigation was launched by seizing the suspect’s social media accounts and digital evidence, the statement added, warning that strict action would be taken against him.

FIA’s cybercrime wing filed a first information report (FIR) on March 16, a copy of which is available with ‘The News’. The FIR detailed that the suspect allegedly propagated false and misleading information on social media. The FIR said, “[The suspect] is found sharing highly intimidating content/tweets on social media/Twitter…”

It further stated: “Moreover, the user propagated highly intimidating tweet by glorifying the banned outfit ie Balochistan Liberation Army with criminal intent to coerce, intimidate, create sense of fear and panic/insecurity in government and public.

“Such intimidating content to glorify the banned outfit BLA and their terrorist activities, is clearly fanning insurgency in the state and a mischievous act of subversion to damage the state of Pakistan.”

A YouTube channel purportedly of Saeed, shows pro-PTI videos as old as November 2022. A post by PTI’s official X account the previous day termed Saeed a “committed activist and supporter of Imran Khan”. It quoted his father as claiming that their residence was raided by the “police and intelligence personnel”.