LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Aalia Neelum on Monday questioned how VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) were being used illegally if there was a ban on X, formerly twitter, in Pakistan.

She was hearing a petition filed by Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari against the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for not arresting the persons involved in uploading her doctored video and photos on social media.

The chief justice observed that using VPNs incurs penalties in many countries, citing the UAE as an example.

She said while social media had its benefits, it was essential to curb its misuse.

An FIA official informed the court that a letter had been sent to the US embassy regarding the X issue.

The CJ sought details of the SOPs under which X services were provided in the country.

An additional attorney general said X had been banned in Pakistan for six months and was being used illegally without permission from the government or any authorised body, and that there was no representative of X present in the country. He further stated that the government did not have control over VPNs.

About the minister’s case, the FIA cybercrime wing director said a suspect, Muhammad Shafique, had been arrested from Gujrat.

The CJ asked whether the arrested suspect was responsible for all the fake content uploaded on social media, to which the officer said the investigation was ongoing and more suspects may be identified.

The CJ adjourned the hearing till Aug 29.

Talking to the media outside the court, Ms Bokhari said the FIA cybercrime unit was completely ineffective, urging the prime minister to shut it down.

The minister said she will fight her case until her last breath and will knock on every door for justice.

She regretted that the FIA had failed to remove her fake videos from social media.

Lashing out at the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), she said since its inception “this filth has surfaced in society. Creating fake videos was neither our way nor the party’s [PML-N], otherwise, we can do this as well.”

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2024