Man jailed over online bomb-making search

An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) has sentenced a man to two-and-a-half year in prison for seeking guidance on bomb-making via Instagram, following a tip-off from the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The court also imposed a fine of Rs50,000 on the convict.

The court found Hanan Abdullah, a resident of Village Marjal in Tehsil Zafarwal, District Narowal, guilty under Section 21-C(3) read with sub-section (6) of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997. However, it acquitted him of charges under Section 12 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016 due to insufficient evidence of further planning or intent to carry out an act of terrorism.

In his judgment, the ATC judge noted that while Abdullah had contacted another Instagram user — allegedly based in Iraq — to seek guidance on the components and ratios required to make a bomb, no additional evidence was presented that he planned to use this information or pass it on to others.

"The prosecution has only been able to prove that the accused sought guidance. In the absence of any planning or dissemination, the maximum punishment is not warranted," the court observed.