- Petitioners allege NCCIA notices are ‘illegal, unlawful and void ab initio,’ terming it misuse of authority to malign petitioners
- Journalists accuse DIG Faisal Kamran of retaliatory campaign over critical reporting, arguing no rules exist to regulate frequency or mechanism of cybercrime notices
LAHORE: Six journalists, including Lahore Press Club (LPC) President Muhammad Arshad Ansari, moved the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday against notices they received from the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA).
The petitioners — Arshad Ansari, Sheikh Mujahid Latif, Sheraz Nisar, Ahmed Faraz, Yasir Shamoon, and Waseem Sabir — made the NCCIA director, deputy director, and inspector from Lahore, as well as the agency’s director general in Islamabad, respondents in the case.
According to the petition, the journalists had performed their professional duty by covering criminal cases and highlighting flaws in police administration. They specifically pointed to their reporting on the creation of the Crime Control Department, the appointment of Lahore Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Faisal Kamran “without merit,” and what they described as the rising crime rate in the provincial capital.
The journalists alleged that these reports prompted DIG Kamran to retaliate by “launching malicious social media campaigns against petitioners through retired police officials.” The petition further stated that on September 18, a “premeditated complaint based on false and fabricated contents” was filed with the NCCIA in an attempt to malign and defame them.
Subsequently, the NCCIA deputy director issued two notices to the journalists, summoning them for personal appearances. The first notice was served on September 20, followed by a second on September 24, directing them to appear the very next day, September 25.
“The gap between both notices is merely three to four days, which clearly indicates misuse of authority aimed at maligning the petitioners,” the plea stated. It argued that the NCCIA’s actions amounted to harassment and an attempt to silence critical reporting on police performance.
The petition contended that “powers are being misused by the respondents, and notices are being sent maliciously at the behest of others just to tarnish the reputation of journalists.” It also pointed out that no clear rules or regulations exist to govern the mechanism, timeline, or frequency of such notices, leaving the process open to arbitrary use.
Calling the NCCIA’s September 18 notice “illegal, unlawful and void ab initio,” the petitioners asked the LHC to quash it altogether. They further requested the court to suspend its operation until the case is adjudicated.
The journalists argued that issuing notices “at the desire of higher authorities to malign journalists” reflected mala fide intent on the part of the investigating officers, and urged the court to intervene to prevent further harassment.
