The federal government has established a 5-member joint investigation team (JIT) under Section 30 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016.
The JIT, led by the Islamabad police chief and including two senior officials from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), will probe an organized anti-state social media campaign.
The committee also includes the FIA’s director of cybercrime, director of the counterterrorism wing, deputy inspector general (Investigation), and senior superintendent of police from the Counter Terrorism Department.
A Ministry of Interior notification dated July 26 stated that the JIT’s mission is to “investigate and establish the organized goals of those accused, along with their accomplices, who are causing turmoil in Pakistan through malicious social media campaigns.”
The team identifies and prosecutes those responsible according to relevant laws and may include co-opted members as necessary.
This initiative is part of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government’s recent actions, which established special trials for trials under the PECA. A notification from the Law Ministry authorizes additional district and session judges, along with civil judges from the East and West jurisdictions, to manage these trials.
Additionally, amid ongoing concerns about anti-state online content, the government is actively testing an internet firewall to block such content and identify its sources.
