PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi meeting with detained social media activists at the FIA headquarters on Sunday. PHOTO: Twitter
PTI spokesperson Fawad Hussain Chaudhary confirmed that the MNA visited FIA headquarters. He also retweeted another social media activist's picture showing Qureshi meeting with the detained men.
https://twitter.com/faisalahmadj/status/866190684373618688
Among them is Faisal Ranjha. He was reportedly taken into custody by the FIA under the cyber crime law for posting "inflammatory" content. He is believed to be a supporter of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.
Cyber crime: Social media activist released amid PTI’s hue and cry
Ranjha's arrest sparked outrage on Twitter:
#BringBackFaisalRanjha Just like we raise voice for @MeFixer no attempt to curb political dissent is accepted #Release @fasiranjha
— Mubashir Zaidi (@Xadeejournalist) May 20, 2017
https://twitter.com/anaulhaq/status/865924108550381568
Another #socialmedia activist @fasiranjha was picked up by Pakistan #FIA. This is getting ridiculous. Stop this.#BringBackFaisalRanjha
— Raza Ahmad Rumi (@Razarumi) May 20, 2017
#ReleaseFaisalRanjha #BringBackFaisalRanjha
— sherry (@CherieDamour_) May 20, 2017
He's not a journo, not an activist, just a citizen who criticizes where the masters are wrong
Pakistan Peoples Party's Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari also tweeted:
Our interior minister should b going after terrorists.Terrorism is 🇵🇰 real prob. Not social media activists. Sincerely, embarrassed citizen.
— Bakhtawar B-Zardari (@BakhtawarBZ) May 21, 2017
The PTI spokesperson said the PTI would provide legal assistance to the detained activists regardless of their political affiliations.
After Qureshi's meeting with the activists, @InsafPK posted the PTI leader's video wherein he vows that the party would continue supporting the detained activists and try its best to facilitate them.
We won't leave our activists alone, we are standing behind them and trying our best to facilitate them . @SMQureshiPTI pic.twitter.com/g7es1MsTOt
— Tehreek-e-Insaf (@InsafPK) May 21, 2017
A few days ago, Salar Sultanzai, a former information secretary of the party’s Balochistan chapter and founder of the PTI’s cyber force, was asked to appear before the FIA Counter Terrorism Wing.
According to a senior party leader, he was detained under the controversial cybercrime law and questioned about his social media posts regarding the Dawn Leaks issue.
He was later released after the FIA recorded his statement.
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