IO allowed to probe online pictures defaming former COAS

Judicial magistrate grants permission; accused’s Facebook ID tracked down

LAHORE: A judicial magistrate has allowed an investigation officer (IO) to probe the posting of social media pictures that were allegedly intended to malign the image of former chief of army staff Ashfaq Pervez Kayani’s family.

The cybercrime cell of the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) submitted an application before the magisterial court to seek permission to conduct an investigation under Section 155 of the CrPC.

It was stated in the application that the matter was reported on July 26, 2018, when a post went viral on social media. The posts claimed to show a picture of the former COAS’ daughter and said that she had married a US soldier.

A new wave of cybercrime grows in Lahore

The post was initiated by a certain Facebook ID and an inquiry into the case (No 1143/2018) was registered on September 15, 2018. During the course of the inquiry, social engineering and tracking methods were applied against the facebook ID which posted the defaming material. The cybercrime cell tracked down that Facebook ID and discovered it was being used by one Siddique Ahmed Butt, a resident of Bain Boulevard in Defence Cantt.

Siddique Ahmed Butt was summoned and confessed that he “carelessly” uploaded the post and “mistakenly” shared it on Facebook. A link between the Facebook account and the accused was established, while the media in his possession was also seized, according to a seizure memo.

This app may be the solution to the city's crime problem

During the course of the inquiry, it established that Siddique Ahmed Butt had intentionally and publically uploaded false information.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 19^th, 2019.