Cross-examination of key NCCIA witness concludes in social media posts case against Imaan-Hadi

ISLAMABAD: The cross-examination of Anisur Rehman, an official of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) and a key witness in the controversial social media posts case, was completed on Monday.

The case involves lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her spouse Hadi Ali Chattha, who are accused of attempting to incite divisions on linguistic grounds and portraying the armed forces as engaged in terrorism.

During the proceedings, Rehman repeatedly declined to comment on statements made by government ministers and a former army official regarding missing persons, negotiations with rights activists, and criticism of the military. These statements were cited by Chattha and Mazari during their cross-examination.

The FIR, registered under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), alleges that the couple held the security forces responsible for missing persons in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan and portrayed the armed forces as ineffective against proscribed groups including the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

During the hearing, several reports and videos were presented, including a Dawn report from July 31, 2025, and clips of speeches by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. Rehman admitted he could not determine whether such content amounted to anti-state activity without reviewing it formally in his official capacity. He also acknowledged being unaware of the state’s policy on enforced disappearances, the existence of a commission on missing persons, or the banned status of certain groups shown in the videos.

Rehman testified that while he had undergone training on Peca, cybercrime, and the Criminal Procedure Code, he had received no training related to enforced disappearance cases. He also conceded that the social media posts under scrutiny did not explicitly name banned outfits like the BLA or TTP, though he maintained they were “against the state.”

The witness confirmed that the term “disinformation vector” used in his report could not be clearly explained at the time and that the individuals named were only those who had reposted Mazari’s content.

Following the completion of Rehman’s cross-examination by the defence, Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka adjourned the hearing until January 7.