SAHIWAL: The Okanwala Bangla police has booked two individuals in separate cases for allegedly spreading sectarian hatred and sharing blasphemous content on social media under the newly-amended Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) 2016.

The FIRs were lodged on the complaint of Sub-Inspector Riaz Ahmed of Okanwala police and the suspects were booked under sections 295-A and 298-C of the PPC and section 11 of Peca.

According to reports, a resident of Haseeb Town allegedly posted blasphemous content from his social media account, which subsequently went viral within the local community.

The content reportedly contained inflammatory sectarian comments, inciting discord among the residents of surrounding rural areas.

In the other incident, a resident of village 105/12-L was accused of sharing a video containing sectarian content and using hate speech against religious sects. Police claimed his mobile phone contained a video attacking revered religious figures.

Police started investigation but so far no arrest has been made in the cases.

BOOKED: A district and sessions judge booked ASI Maqsood Ahmed, a reader and two constables of the Yousafwala police for illegally detaining a citizen.

As per details, Shahid Ali, a resident of village 83/D Pakpattan, was returning home after a medical check-up when he was arrested by ASI Maqsood Ahmed near Ada Jahan Khan on June 22. The police officials also took two mobile phones and Rs10,000 cash from Shahid. His father, Abass Ali, inquired about the arrest but the police failed to satisfy him.

Later, his father filed a writ petition under section 491 in the court of D&SJ, Sahiwal. The court sent a ballif to Yousafwala police station and found that Shahid had been arrested in an old robbery case under section 288 of the PPC.

The judge found the case to be fake and also found the police record faulty and booked the officials under section 342 of the PPC and 155-C of Police Order for illegally detaining Shahid Ali. No arrest has been made so far by the police.

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2025