Journalist Muhammad Khalid Jamil has been arrested and placed in the custody of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for a period of two days following his arrest on charges related to the dissemination of a “provocative narrative” against state institutions through social media posts.
The FIA disclosed that the journalist was apprehended for sharing “highly intimidating content/tweets on social media/Twitter” (now X), as per the details in the first information report (FIR) registered by the agency.
The FIR invoked Section 20 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), which addresses the intentional dissemination of false information through an information system with the intent to intimidate or harm the reputation or privacy of a natural person. The section stipulates penalties of imprisonment for up to two years, a fine extending up to one million rupees, or both.
Additionally, the FIR included Section 505 (statement conducing to public mischief) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
The agency’s complaint alleged that the accused knowingly misrepresented and spread an anti-state narrative by disseminating false, misleading, and baseless information. Such actions were deemed likely to cause fear among the public and potentially incite offenses against the state, state institutions, or public tranquility.
While the FIR mentioned Muhammad Khalid Jamil’s involvement, it did not specify other individuals connected to the alleged crime.
The FIA contended that distributing intimidating content that accuses and identifies individuals through social media accounts is a subversive act aimed at creating division between the general public and state institutions, ultimately harming Pakistan.
The agency further asserted that by sharing such content, including videos, the accused attempted to incite the public against state institutions, including the judiciary, fostering ill will among the pillars of the state.
