Journalists granted bail in cases over false rape incident tweets sparking public unrest

Defence counsel challenged FIA, police for filing two FIRs over the same incident during court proceedings

LAHORE:

A district court has granted pre-arrest bail to journalists Shakir Mehmood Awan and Syed Zeeshan Aziz in two cases filed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Defence-A police.

The cases pertain to their alleged involvement in inciting public unrest through tweets, which falsely portrayed a fabricated incident as a genuine rape case at a local college.

On Thursday, both journalists appeared before Additional District and Sessions Judge Suleman Ghuman, accompanied by fellow journalists and their legal counsel, Advocate Azhar Siddique.

During the proceedings, the defence counsel questioned the actions of the FIA and police, particularly the registration of two First Information Reports (FIRs) for the same incident.

He argued that implicating journalists in politically motivated cases while they were performing their professional duties was unjust. The counsel further suggested that such cases reflected the government's instability.

The judge, however, issued notices to the relevant authorities and sought their replies by November 4.

The FIR registered by the FIA was based on a complaint from Sadia Javaid, Principal of Punjab College.

According to the complaint, around 40 YouTubers, social media activists, and journalists had been covering and sharing information about the alleged incident across various platforms, including Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

The complainant requested the FIA to investigate a false social media campaign against Punjab College that had been circulating since October 12, 2024. She stated that, despite efforts to uncover the truth with the help of the Punjab police, no victim or family had come forward.

The college’s security guard and CCTV footage have been placed in police custody for further investigation, and the institution is in contact with students and staff to ascertain the facts.

The complaint alleges that the accused individuals spread false propaganda, intending to defame the institution and incite public violence. It also claims that these social media accounts glorified acts of terrorism and spread fear and insecurity among the public.

Such posts, according to the complaint, could incite violence, disrupt public peace, or even provoke hostility between different sections of society, leading to anarchy and division.

In a separate FIR, police officer Muhammad Sajjad stated that he visited the college after a viral video surfaced, alleging a rape incident at the institution. He met the girl's parents, who denied the incident, stating that the social media campaign was designed to humiliate and embarrass them.

According to the FIR, the parents claimed that students were manipulated and incited against the state and its institutions as part of a larger conspiracy. This led to violent protests, where a mob caused significant property damage.

The FIR calls for a thorough investigation and strict action against those responsible for the unrest.