Senate body orders action over Aitzaz’s fake social media accounts

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Committee on Interior Friday directed the FIA to launch a crackdown on those running fake social media accounts of PPP leader Aitzaz Ahsan and provide details of the accused in the next meeting on Monday.

The Senate committee also directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to brief it in the next meeting. The meeting was chaired of its chairman, Senator Abdul Rehman Malik, and attended by Senator Muhammad Javed Abbasi and Senator Shahzad Waseem as member and former Senator Aitzaz Ahsan as a special invitee. The secretary interior, senior officers from the Ministry for Interior, PTA, FIA and others also attended.

In the meeting, the issue of fake accounts in the name of Aitzaz Ahsan on Twitter was discussed in detail. Rehman Malik said he had taken notice of the fake accounts and the matter was also raised in two other committees of the Senate. He said that he had directed the FIA and PTA to block them immediately. He said he was informed that two fake Twitter accounts of Aitzaz Ahsan had been shut down.

Senator Dr Shehzad Waseem said that blocking the fake accounts alone would not solve the problem and new accounts could be created and the matter should be taken up with the Twitter administration that the accounts of celebrities should not be opened without verification. Senator Javed Abbasi called for developing a mechanism and said strict action should be taken against those who create fake accounts.

Former Senator Aitazaz Ahsan said an attempt was made to tarnish his honour and politics by creating fake accounts on Twitter in his name but the accounts were still operating and posting tweets.

Meanwhile, the Senate committee also condemned a terrorist attack on the security forces in South Waziristan in which four soldiers had embraced martyrdom. It offered Fateha for the martyrs. It also condemned the ongoing curfew in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir by the Indian forces and urged the international community to break its silence over Indian oppressions.

Rehman Malik said that the blood of martyrs would not go waste as defeat is the destiny of terrorists. He said that South Waziristan should be completely cleansed of terrorists through a fierce operation against them. He said that enemies wanted to destabilise Pakistan through cowardly attacks but they would never succeed in their nefarious designs. He said that India was using Afghan soil for terrorist activities against Pakistan and the government should raise the issue of terrorist attacks with the government of Afghanistan. He said India was financing ISIS and with its help, it was carrying terrorist activities in Pakistan using Afghan soil.