LAHORE: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has arrested 11 “social media activists” from different cities of Punjab for allegedly spreading anti-state propaganda and inciting unrest among the public.

According to the NCCIA Punjab spokesperson, the suspects had been under surveillance and were allegedly involved in spreading provocative content and running campaigns against state institutions, particularly the army, through social media and other online platforms.

The spokesperson said raids were carried out on Thursday and two suspects, identified as Ghaus Siddiq and Azhar, were arrested from Lahore, while Zeeshan, Zahoor and Tariq were arrested from Faisalabad.

Similarly, four individuals — Asif, Far­han, Sohail and Zubair — were arrested from Multan, while Ejaz was detained from Gujranwala on charges of anti-state propaganda and creating unrest among the public.

The spokesperson said digital evidence and social media records were being collected from the arrested individuals to trace their possible networks and online activities.

The suspects have been booked under different sections of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), 2016.

NCCIA Punjab Director Muhammad Ali Waseem said no leniency would be shown to those involved in anti-state propaganda and attempts to spread panic and instability among the public.

He said the crackdown against such elements would continue and strict legal action would be taken in accordance with the law.

The arrests come weeks after NCCIA Punjab arrested 13 “anti-state social media activists” from different cities of the province. The agency had claimed that the suspects were involved in running a campaign against the state, particularly the army and government functionaries, across various social media platforms. Some of them were also allegedly involved in posting content targeting Gulf countries.

The NCCIA was formally established last year as Pakistan’s dedicated cybercrime investigation agency, replacing the Federal Investigation Agency’s Cyber Crime Wing. The FIA had said at the time that all responsibilities related to cybercrime prevention, investigation and enforcement would be handled by the newly formed agency.

The new cybercrime agency has since figured in several actions involving online speech and alleged anti-state content. Last year, Reuters reported that YouTube had notified more than two dozen Pakistani content creators that their channels could be blocked after a court order based on an NCCIA report accusing them of producing “anti-state” content.

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2026