PTI social media posts : NCCIA investigators face resistance from Imran

ISLAMABAD: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) is facing resistance in its inquiry into a series of controversial posts made from the official X (formerly Twitter) account of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan.

A three-member NCCIA team, led by Deputy Director Ayaz Khan, has been investigating the source and nature of these posts for the past six weeks. The investigation has reportedly been hampered by a lack of cooperation from Imran Khan.

According to the team, their fourth meeting with him last Friday was unproductive. Investigators claimed that Khan had consistently provided “incorrect and irrelevant” information. The team also clarified that questions referred to in recent posts from Khan’s account were never asked by investigators.

During the most recent meeting, the NCCIA team pressed Khan for information about the individuals managing his X account both in Pakistan and abroad.

In response, Khan identified Jibran Ilyas, an individual he described as a “patriotic Pakistani” who handles his social media. However, when investigators pointed out that Jibran Ilyas is a British national, Khan reportedly grew agitated and shouted at the team members. He is said to have used inappropriate language, accused the team leader of bias, and stated that he had lost confidence in the investigation.

The team explained that their goal was to identify any contact with anti-state elements abroad, a matter of national security given his past role as prime minister. This line of questioning allegedly provoked an angry reaction from Khan, who reportedly hurled abuses and demanded the team to leave the room.

According to the investigators, Khan became visibly angry, lost his temper, and made aggressive movements towards the team members.

The NCCIA team emphasised that none of the points later released on Khan’s social media platforms were ever discussed during their four meetings with him. The investigation is going on.