Man arrested over alleged anti-state social media posts

LAHORE: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has arrested a man accused of uploading anti-army and anti-state material on social media, according to an official.

The suspect, identified as Azhar Ali, was taken into custody in Multan. The official said he had been sharing online content aimed at state institutions.

A case has been registered against him under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, along with relevant provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Punjab NCCIA Director Muhammad Ali Wasim said action against the misuse of social media and the spread of content targeting state institutions would continue in line with the law.

FIA arrests five in Lahore raid

In a separate development, the Federal Investigation Agency said it had arrested five men allegedly involved in hawala/hundi and illegal currency exchange operations.

The arrests were made by the FIA Corporate Crime Circle Lahore during a raid at Delhi Gate. The suspects were identified as Wasim Mahmood Afridi, Abdul Wahab, Idris Khan, Ishaq and Zubair.

According to the FIA, the five men were engaged in hawala/hundi and unlawful currency business activities.

The agency said it recovered more than Rs11.2 million from the suspects during the operation.

Both developments were reported on Thursday, with the NCCIA case relating to alleged online content against state institutions and the FIA action focusing on suspected financial crimes in Lahore.

The NCCIA official statement on the social media case and the FIA account of the currency raid outlined separate enforcement actions carried out under existing laws.

In the cybercrime case, officials said legal proceedings had been initiated after the arrest of Azhar Ali in Multan. In the Lahore operation, the FIA said the five suspects were detained after a raid by its Corporate Crime Circle.

Authorities have not provided further details in the report beyond the charges cited, the identities of those arrested and the amount of money recovered in the FIA operation.