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March 24, 2025 - Comments Off on IHC Summons Islamabad IGP in Case of Missing Brothers of Journalist Ahmad Noorani

IHC Summons Islamabad IGP in Case of Missing Brothers of Journalist Ahmad Noorani

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday summoned the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad in connection with the alleged enforced disappearance of two brothers of US-based investigative journalist Ahmad Noorani.

Noorani’s mother, Amina Bashir, filed a petition before the IHC seeking the recovery of her sons, Muhammad Saifur Rehman Haider and Muhammad Ali, who were allegedly abducted from their Islamabad residence in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The plea, filed by Advocate Imaan Hazir Mazari, accused unnamed officials, allegedly from intelligence agencies, of abducting Noorani’s brothers as a reprisal for his recent report published on FactFocus, which investigated a serving senior military official.

Justice Raja Inam Ameen Minhas, presiding over the case, expressed dissatisfaction with the police report submitted by the SHO of Noon Police Station and questioned the lack of urgency shown by law enforcement. 

Mazari criticised the police for failing to register an FIR even six days after the incident, questioning how an investigation was proceeding without a formal complaint. The judge clarified that he would not issue unenforceable orders but stressed the need for a thorough inquiry.

The court has adjourned the hearing until March 26, with orders for the Islamabad IGP to appear and provide a detailed update on the investigation.

March 22, 2025 - Comments Off on Female TikToker Accused, Arrested for alleged Blasphemy

Female TikToker Accused, Arrested for alleged Blasphemy

A female TikTok user has been arrested and charged with allegedly making blasphemous statements on social media. A resident of the district of Muzaffargarh, the user was accused by three other locals of using what they considered to be “offensive” language in a religious capacity in a video, which they presented as evidence to the police. The case registered against her by Muzaffargarh police were filed under Pakistan’s overly broad and controversial blasphemy laws, with the specific sections being: Sections 295-A (“Deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs”), and 298-A (“Uttering words with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings”)  of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

March 21, 2025 - Comments Off on Pakistan Govt Grants Starlink Temporary Permission to Operate

Pakistan Govt Grants Starlink Temporary Permission to Operate

Starlink, the satellite internet network owned by the controversial billionaire Elon Musk, has been issued a temporary No Objection Certificate (NOC)* to operate in Pakistan, according to the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT). IT Minister Shaza Fatima was quoted in a statement by the Ministry as saying that “Starlink has been issued a temporary NOC with the consensus of all security and regulatory agencies”. The IT Minister said that the MoITT had, according to Dawn News, “consulted with the Cybercrime Agency, security agencies, PTA and Pakistan Space Activities Regulatory Board, as part of a “Whole of government” approach.

*NOCs are legal certificates “issued by any agency, organization, and institute or, in certain cases, an individual”. In the context of Starlink, being granted an NOC allows foreign entities or individuals – such as foreign journalists or companies – to operate in Pakistan, after receiving approval from relevant agencies and government departments.

March 20, 2025 - Comments Off on Pakistani TikToker, political activist arrested for “misinformation” on social media

Pakistani TikToker, political activist arrested for “misinformation” on social media

Police in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, have made what is being reported as the first arrest since the expansion of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA). A Tiktoker and political activist for the PTI party allegedly published numerous posts that allegedly shared “misinformation and negative propaganda” against senior members of the armed forces and the Chief Minister of the Punjab. As reported by TechJuice, the case was filed “under Section 505 of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 20 of the PECA Act 2016”, “officials argue that such activity could erode public trust and fuel unrest.”

March 19, 2025 - Comments Off on Over 34 social media users charged with spreading “fake news” about bomb blasts

Over 34 social media users charged with spreading “fake news” about bomb blasts

Police in Dadu, in the province of Sindh, have filed formal First Information Reports (FIRs) against over 34 Pakistani social media users for “spreading false information with the wrong use of social media” as per a statement by the Dadu police force. According to the police, the suspects were accused of sharing false rumours and news pertaining to bomb blasts. The FIRs were registered under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), which lists sharing fake news as being a criminal action as per Section 20. The Dadu Superintendent of Police (SSP) said that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had been written to as well, to request further action.

March 19, 2025 - Comments Off on Establish Dept To Tackle “Blasphemy”: Council of Islamic Ideology

Establish Dept To Tackle “Blasphemy”: Council of Islamic Ideology

The chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) has told the government of Pakistan that it should establish a government department to proactively and specifically tackle what he considered blasphemy on social media platforms and websites. Speaking on the International Day Against Islamophobia, the CII chairman proposed that judges be selected to focus upon and decide alleged cases of blasphemy exclusively. Blasphemy and allegations of blasphemy are very sensitive and controversial in Pakistan, with numerous cases of people being physically attacked or even killed by vigilante mobs and lone wolves. Pakistan’s very broad blasphemy legislation carries the death penalty if one is found to be guilty of allegedly committing blasphemy.

March 19, 2025 - Comments Off on Progress, New Deadline Set for Personal Data Protection Bill

Progress, New Deadline Set for Personal Data Protection Bill

A new 14-day deadline, from the time of publication, for the completion of the drafting of the Personal Data Protection Bill (PDPB) has been set by the Ministry of Information Technology & Telecommunication (MoITT), and forwarded to the Senate Standing Committee on IT. According to Ary News, “the revised draft of the bill has already been shared with relevant stakeholders, and their feedback is currently under review.”

March 17, 2025 - Comments Off on Suspect held for online “anti-state campaign” in wake of Balochistan train attack

Suspect held for online “anti-state campaign” in wake of Balochistan train attack

A social media and political activist was arrested for allegedly carrying out an “anti-state campaign” online in regards to the hijacking of a Pakistani passenger train on March 11, 2025, which saw 64 people dead and 380 injured. According to a statement issued by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the social media user had been arrested for ““spreading a hate campaign against state institutions” and had “shared negative propaganda and derogatory content against institutions during the Jaffar Express tragedy”.

The FIA also asserted that he was “supported ”supporting and promoting banned terrorist organisations on social media”, and was ““not only running a poisonous campaign against state institutions but also kept sharing inflammatory statements and content in favour of terrorists” on social media platforms such as X (formerly known as Twitter).

March 15, 2025 - Comments Off on Appeal against death penalty for online “blasphemy” to be heard

Appeal against death penalty for online “blasphemy” to be heard

An appeal against the death sentence, given to a former academic in 2019, is to be heard by the Lahore High Court (LHC) on March 19. In 2013, Junaid Hafeez, a visiting lecturer in English Literature at Bahauddin Zakariya University in Multan, was accused of sharing blasphemous material on Facebook. In 2014 his then lawyer Rashid Rehman was murdered in his office, and Hafeez and was given the death penalty in 2019, and has been imprisoned since.

In the wake of Junaid Hafeez’s sentencing, there have been a number of cases where people have been accused of sharing blasphemous material online, and given the death sentence or life imprisonment, as recently as 2024.

March 15, 2025 - Comments Off on Pakistan Government Officially Launches “Crypto Council”

Pakistan Government Officially Launches “Crypto Council”

The Pakistani government has formally launched the Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC), to “regulate and integrate blockchain technology and digital assets”, a ““significant step in the country’s efforts to regulate and integrate blockchain technology and digital assets into its financial landscape”, as per a government press release. The aim of the PCC, to be chaired by Minister of Finance Muhammad Aurangzeb, is “to play a pivotal role in formulating policies, fostering innovation, and ensuring a secure and forward-thinking approach to crypto adoption in Pakistan”. The PCC’s board will include the Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, the Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SECP), as well as federal secretaries for IT and Law.