Two accused remanded in FIA custody in defamation case

NOWSHERA: Judicial Magistrate Salimur Rehman Khan on Friday remanded two accused into the custody of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)'s cybercrime circle.

A senior journalist and former president of Nowshera Press Club Mushtaq Paracha had registered a complaint with the FIA Cyber Crimes Circle, Peshawar, stating that material was being shared on the social media to defame him and his family members. He had accused Bacha Khan, a resident of Mardan, Gul Samar Shah, a resident of Nowshera and a poet, Raheem Khan, of the slanderous campaign against him.

On Thursday, the Cyber Crime Circle of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had arrested the two local journalists on the charges of defaming a senior newsman and important figures including Defence Minister Pervez Khattak through the social media. The senior journalist, who has been in journalism for the last three decades and has served as president of the Nowshera Press Club, had said that these posts were meant to bring a bad name to him. Paracha had complained that the slanderous campaign was not confined to him but important political figures and bureaucrats were also being maligned though the social media.

Additional Director of FIA, Cyber Crimes Circle Peshawar, Qazi Hameed, launched the investigation along the scientific lines. The technical experts analysed the three IDs and found the involvement of the three accused.

At team of the FIA Cyber Crimes Circle headed by Sub-Inspector Naheed conducted action in the limits of the Nowshera Cantt Police Station, arresting the two accused while the third accused, Raheem Khan, is still at large and raids continue for his arrest.

In 2018, Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Rashid had fined the three accused Rs1 million each, but the accused then appealed to the Peshawar High Court against the verdict.