PESHAWAR: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), Peshawar circle, has issued call-up notice to a prominent lawyer, Tariq Afghan, for an inquiry about his alleged sharing of ‘anti-state’ content on the social media.

The move has triggered condemnation by the legal fraternity and Awami National Party leadership, terming it violation of the fundamental rights given in the Constitution of Pakistan.

The notice, issued by the inquiry officer/investigation officer NCCIA Peshawar, called upon Tariq Afghan, who is also a central leader of Malgaray Wakeelan, the lawyers’ wing of ANP, to appear in person to record his version in his defence on Sept 8.

“An inquiry has been initiated against you regarding anti-state contents being publicly shared by you on social media platforms, which prima facie attracts the provisions of Section 11 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016,” the notice states.

The inquiry was instituted on Aug 8, 2025, on a source report.

Mr Afghan, who is also an environmentalist, is an active member of the Peshawar High Court Bar Association and has a visible presence on different social media platforms.

When the news of the issuance of the call-up notice surfaced, an emergency meeting of PHCBA’s executive council was convened through video link on Sunday, condemning the NCCIA move.

The meeting chaired by PHCBA president Aminur Rehman Yousafzai termed the issuance of the notice as unconstitutional and demanded its immediate withdrawal.

The meeting resolved that the notice was not only contrary to the provisions of the Constitution, guaranteeing freedom of expression and opinion, rather also in violation of several international conventions on the matter.

The meeting demanded of the government to stop putting restrictions on voices of dissent as the same had been creating mistrust between the people and state institutions.

Meanwhile, ANP central president Aimal Wali Khan, provincial president Mian Iftikhar Hussain and provincial general secretary Hussain Shah Yousafzai termed the issuance of the notice an attack on democratic norms and human rights.

In separate statements, they said that the notice was only aimed at suppressing saner voices of the society, which was a condemnable act.

They said the party won’t accept misuse of PECA and would fully resist the move.

Moreover, provincial president of Malgaray Wakeelan Rafique Mohmand said that Article 19 of the Constitution guaranteed freedom of expression and imposing restriction of the said right was an unconstitutional act.

Published in Dawn, September 8th, 2025