ISLAMABAD: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) registered a case against legislator Junaid Akbar on September 23, 2026, over his Somnath remarks about a planned protest in the capital.
Akbar is the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president and a National Assembly member. The case invokes Sections 9, 10 and 11 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 (PECA).
The first information report (FIR) alleges that Akbar circulated anti-state content through his official TikTok account. It describes his statement as a threat intended to intimidate the government and spread fear.
Akbar had previously rejected that interpretation. He maintained that the party supported peaceful protest through constitutional means.
The FIR attributes to him the words: “We will turn Islamabad into Somnath.” It also cites his comparison between 17 attacks on Somnath and repeated attacks on Islamabad.
According to the complaint, the statement encouraged people to take the law into their own hands and promoted hatred. It further alleges risks to public safety and to government and public property.
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The FIR puts the account’s following at approximately 339,500 people, citing its potential reach.
Muhammad Umair Warsi, a technical assistant at the agency’s Cyber Crime Reporting Centre in Islamabad, lodged the complaint on behalf of the state.
Akbar made the remarks at a gathering in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on September 20, 2026. He described several routes supporters could take towards the capital, including the motorway and Grand Trunk Road.
PTI plans nationwide protests and a march towards Islamabad on September 27, 2026, to demand the release of imprisoned founder Imran Khan.
