Man arrested in Bani Gala for online hate campaign after Jaffar Express attack

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Cyber Crime Circle has arrested a suspect accused of running a hate campaign against state institutions following the Jaffar Express attack.

The suspect, identified as Haider Saeed, was apprehended in a raid conducted in the capital city’s Bani Gala area, Express News reported.

According to the FIA spokesperson, Saeed was found sharing derogatory material targeting state institutions during the Jaffar Express attack.

Additionally, the suspect was involved in promoting banned terrorist organisations on social media, sharing inflammatory content in support of these groups.

The FIA stated that the suspect was not only spreading anti-state propaganda but was also posting provocative statements in favour of extremists. The agency has seized the suspect’s social media accounts and digital evidence for further investigation.

The FIA has vowed to take strict legal action against the accused in accordance with the law.

Jaffar Express, with over 400 passengers on board in nine bogies, was on its way from Quetta to Peshawar when it came under attack in the Dhadar area of Bolan Pass on Tuesday, according to security sources.

It all started after armed gunmen forced the train to a halt in a remote, mountainous area of the province on Tuesday afternoon, with the assault immediately claimed by the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a terrorist group behind rising violence in the province.

The attackers bombed the railway track before storming aboard the train, said the security forces.

Sources indicated that the railway tracks had been destroyed with explosives, causing the train to stop, after which firing began, resulting in the death of the driver and several passengers.

Railway authorities stated that mobile networks were not working in the area where the train was located, causing difficulties in communication..

After the terrorist attack on the Jaffar Express, Indian and anti-national social media platforms started to actively spread misleading information and false propaganda.

According to sources, propaganda and fake news are being spread through old videos, AI-generated videos, outdated images, fake WhatsApp messages, and posters in an attempt to incite hysteria.

Sources indicate that a malicious social media campaign is attempting to create panic among the public. Social media accounts linked to terrorists are also working with Indian media to spread anti-Pakistan rhetoric.

Security sources stated that Indian media is misleading the public by broadcasting analyses from self-exiled Baloch leaders sitting outside Pakistan. People are being misled, and the public is advised to rely on credible sources of information rather than the misleading and fabricated propaganda spread on social media.