IHC seeks X’s help in judge’s data leak

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday through the foreign ministry issued a letter to the chief legal officer of social media platform X seeking the microblogging site’s assistance in identifying the people behind leaking Justice Babar Sattar’s family data.

A larger bench of the IHC ordered its registrar to write to X through the foreign ministry requesting it to provide the required information to Pakistan’s investigating agencies in connection with the case.

The letter added that X could send its representative before the IHC if it wanted, noting that it would be a commendable move.

Through the letter, X was informed that the data of IHC’s Justice Sattar and his family had been leaked using its platform.

The IHC stressed the need for X to provide the links to the government if it was an organised campaign against the judge.

The letter also highlighted that X had assisted India and the UK in the past.

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Earlier during the hearing of the case, Additional Attorney General (AAG) Munawar Iqbal Dugga informed the court that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Cybercrime Wing had indicated the involvement of 39 social media accounts in leaking Justice Sattar’s personal data.

He added that the agency had identified 10 of them.

The AAG continued that six suspects had been issued notices and the agency was conducting a probe.

A larger bench headed by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, and comprising Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri as well as Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, was hearing a contempt of court case against the elements who ran smear campaign against Justice Sattar.

The AAG told the court that two of these suspects had joined the inquiry whereas one of them was being interrogated.

He added that one of them had sent his reply.

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The AAG continued that one of the suspects was a journalist.

The law officer informed the court that the FIA had been told by X to contact the US embassy.

The AAG further told the IHC that the response of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was ready and would be submitted to the court later in the day.

The court was informed that a three-member FIA team had been formed for investigating the matter and half of the 51,000 accounts that logged in during the past three months had been checked.

On the court’s query about who was heading this body, the AAG replied that it was an FIA additional director.

He informed the court that it could ask X the queries it wanted to through the foreign ministry.

The court directed the FIA to contact the US embassy and proceed with the investigation by presenting digital evidence.