FIA assures action against fake Facebook ID of girl

As the girl goes to court, FIA tells the court that she should register an FIR to prompt action .

KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) assured the Sindh High Court on Monday that action would be taken against those running fake ID accounts in the name of a young girl on Facebook.

FIA deputy director gave the undertaking before a bench headed by Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, during hearing of the girl's petition seeking direction for the authorities to block a fake ID in her name being run on Facebook website to defame her. The girl went to the court in June against her plea for the authorities to take action against the harassers.

According to the petitioner's lawyer, Muneer Ahmed Khan, A* was engaged to be married but before the wedding could take place, her fiancé's brother created a Facebook account in her name. Whoever was operating the fake account had obtained her pictures and put them on display for public viewing, her lawyer told the judges.



Showing a bunch of photocopies of the alleged page, the lawyer said the account holder had posted immoral and unethical pictures. "Through this, the account holder wanted to defame the petitioner and create hurdles in her marriage," he said.

The lawyer claimed that his client felt as if she had lost her reputation and the good name of her family.

"The petitioner registered several complaints with the law enforcing agencies but they did not take any action against the accused," Khan alleged. "In order to get the fake page deleted, two applications were also submitted to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority but they did not act either."

After the initial hearing, the bench issued notices to the FIA and other authorities seeking their comments. On Monday, Additional Advocate General Miran Muhammad Shah appeared in court along with FIA deputy director Muhammad Ahmed Zaeem. "Under the Electronic Transactions Ordinance 2002, a number of FIRs have been registered on the complaints of various citizens in connection with fake ID accounts on Facebook," he informed. He assured if the petitioner registers an FIR, her grievance would be redressed in accordance with the law.

Disposing of the plea with the consent of the parties, the bench directed the petitioner to approach the FIA director to get the FIR registered.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 15^th, 2013.