Social media post lands Imran in trouble

ISLAMABAD:

Despite getting relief from the courts in some of the cases, the release of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan seems to be a distant dream as new cases are being lodged against him. In a latest, a case was filed against Imran Khan on Friday for posting a controversial and threatening content against government and state institutions on his X account.

In order to probe Imran Khan, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)'s four-member team headed by Cyber Crime Wing Deputy Director Ayaz Khan reached Adiala Jail on Friday. However, the PTI founder refused to appear before the investigation team, saying he will join the probe along with his legal team.

The sources said the FIA team will visit again on Saturday morning to probe Imran Khan. The probe team will investigate as to who is handling from where Imran Khan's X account. Besides, who is giving directives for making social media post.

Meanwhile, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Friday that the FIA would investigate the handling of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan's social media accounts which were being used to create anarchy in the country, and undermining the national security.

Talking to the media in Islamabad, Tarar demanded of the entire PTI leadership, including its chairman Gohar Ali Khan, to tender an unconditional apology for the use of indecent language against journalists and women during the party's rally in Islamabad on September 8.

The minister said that the language used by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur was highly objectionable. "The tone and tenor of Ali Amin Gandapur against the Punjab chief minister and the armed forces of Pakistan do not suit to a chief executive of a province," he added.

"The PTI is known for attacking media persons and running derogatory campaigns on social media against them. Journalists had become the first target of this party when it started trolling campaigns on social media," the minister said.

"Being the information minister, I believe this is very inappropriate and the entire PTI should apologise unconditionally for the slogans raised in the PTI's recent public gathering, as well as, the statements made by Ali Amin Gandapur against the female journalists."

Referring to a social media post shared from the X account of the PTI founder, Tarar said he was again turning to his previous practice of committing sedition. He added the PTI founder wanted to create anarchy in the country, which was also condemnable.

The FIA would initiate an investigation against the PTI founder for inciting people, and questioning the country's integrity. It would be ascertained that who was the handler of his social media accounts, and whether such posts were being made at his behest or someone else's directives, he added.

"The PTI founder will be investigated to determine as to who runs his social media account on X," he said. "He [the PTI founder] should be ashamed of undermining the national security, inciting people for anarchy and committing the sedition," added the minister.

The minister stated that a botched attempt was made against the chief justice of Pakistan and the heads of other institutions through these posts. He accused the PTI founder of trying to mobilise the people against two major state institutions.

He said the PTI founder, in a recent post on the social media, had once again related himself with Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, but he seemed to be oblivious to the current situation in Bangladesh, where the latter's statues were demolished by the people after realising the truth about history.

Responding to a question, the minister said that the deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was in final stages. He added that inflation had come down to single digit, exports were increasing and current account deficit was under control with all the economic indicators showing upward trajectory.

Journalists protest

Meanwhile, at a PTI press conference held by PTI leaders Salman Akram Raja, Raoof Hassan and Senator Shibli Faraz in Islamabad, journalists removed their microphones as they boycotted the presser, while demanding an apology from Gandapur.

In response, Faraz further antagonised the reporters by insinuating that someone had "sent" them to disrupt the press conference. Television and social media footage showed journalists condemning Gandapur's use of pejorative language about female journalists before removing their mics.

(More input from agencies)