LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday ordered the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) that all operations against the anti-judiciary campaign must remain strictly within the “four corners of the law”.

“No illegal or unwarranted harassment shall be caused to any person, and all actions shall be undertaken strictly in accordance with due process of law,” Justice Ali Zia Bajwa maintained in an order passed on a petition challenging the social media campaign against female judges of the LHC.

The judge directed the agencies that the exercise of authority must remain lawful, proportionate and guided by constitutional and statutory safeguards.

“This court shall not permit any misuse or abuse of authority by state functionaries under the guise of curbing or countering any campaign against the judiciary,” the judge cautioned the authorities.

Justice Bajwa clarified that guarding the dignity of the judiciary cannot become a license for excess because power exercised without law ceases to be authority.

Earlier, fresh reports were submitted by the NCCIA and the PTA.

A law officer stated that both departments were fully vigilant and actively engaged in curbing any nefarious campaign against the judiciary. He further assured that no stone shall be left unturned to eliminate this menace and to ensure the dignity, independence, and institutional integrity of the judicial system.

Separately, Justice Bajwa issued a show cause notice to a lawyer, Akmal Khan, of contempt proceedings for obstructing the hearing. Although the lawyer tendered an unconditional apology, he declined to submit the same in writing.

The judge relisted the hearing.

At the previous hearing, the NCCIA had told the court that at least eight individuals had been arrested for running a malicious campaign on social media against Chief Justice Aalia Neelum and other judges.

The report filed by the NCCIA revealed that at least eight suspects had been arrested from different cities of Punjab following registration of FIRs.

Those arrested include Iftikhar Mehmood Chaudhry by Islamabad circle, Rana Sarwar and Shahbaz Amin by Lahore circle, Muhammad Ali, Rana Khalid Hussain, Ghulam Mustafa, Muhammad Ali Bhutta and Abdul Sattar by Multan circle.

The report further revealed that NCCIA Lahore circle registered a FIR against a Youtube channel “Siyasi Dera” hosted by Ihsanullah Chattha, known as “Mitha Gee” for being involved in the dissemination of derogatory and defamatory content against the judges. Chattha is famous for creating pro-PML-N content on social media.

The FIR was registered on a complaint of a lawyer, Akmal Khan.

However, documents available with Dawn, revealed that the FIR against the Youtuber Mitha Gee had been quashed on the pretext that a similar case had already been registered with the Islamabad circle.

A lawyer, Azeem Danyal, is reportedly missing since registration of a case against him by NCCIA-Islamabad for allegedly spreading contemptuous content against judges on social media.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2026