GUJRANWALA: The Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) cybercrime wing on Tuesday arrested a former Gujranwala president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) youth wing for allegedly defaming the prime minister, the army chief and the Supreme Court.

A case was registered against him under Sections 11 (hate speech) and 20 (offences against dignity of a natural person) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 (Peca) as well as Sections 500 (defamation), 505 (statement conducing public to mischief) and 109 (abetment) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The official in charge of FIA’s cybercrime wing, Asif Iqbal, told reporters that Ameer Hamza, a resident of Model Town, had submitted an application stating that Waleed Asif Butt had uploaded “hateful content” and used “highly inappropriate” and “defamatory” language against Prime Minister Imran Khan, Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and judges of the Supreme Court on Facebook.

The complainant said the individuals were very respectable and Mr Butt’s comments had hurt his sentiments. He alleged that it was an attempt to bring disrepute to state institutions.

After an inquiry, the suspect was found guilty, the official said, adding that a team led by Inspector Asad Ramzan arrested Mr Butt at his house and seized his Facebook record.

Following the arrest, PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz tweeted that the party [PTI] that had attacked an elected government for five years and whose supporters had created a “storm of misbehaviour” on social media could not tolerate criticism at present.

She said a lawyer had been appointed, as the PML-N must stand by its workers.

The PML-N top leadership as well as party workers were being arrested, she said, adding that the assembly was turned into “a container” ­— referring to the PTI’s 2014 protest — and vengeance and state terrorism were encouraged. “He [Imran Khan] is not just an incompetent prime minister, but also a fascist prime minister,” she said.

She asked if the FIA would also take action against the character assassination on social media of an honourable Supreme Court judge, claiming that the campaign was launched at the behest of the government.

With additional information from Dawn.com

Published in Dawn, June 19th, 2019