Inquiry against social media critics of Saudi Crown Prince Pakistan visit continues

The Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Cybercrime Wing is seeking inquiries against six journalists and four parties for allegedly executing what it called ‘a targeted social media campaign’ against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman during his February visit to Pakistan. Pakistan constitution allows freedom of expression and FIA probe seems to be against aricle 19 of the Constituion.

Even the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf allied party Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen is also named in the list of FIA’s inquiry. First the biased government officials had made an attempt to sectarianise the criticism singling out Shia Muslims against MBS visit and a discriminatory notification was issued to target Shia Muslims alone. Now it has come to fore that Pakistani nation irrespective of sectarian, religious or politician affiliations had criticized the Saudi Crown Prince MBS.
The development came to light when a copy of a letter dated March 13 ─ the authenticity of which was verified by FIA sources ─ began circulating on social media after journalist Murtaza Solangi, who was named in the notice, registered a strong protest to an inquiry being initiated against him.
“So the shameful government of Imran Khan has a problem with putting the picture of slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi on your Twitter profile and considers it against the law?” the journalist tweeted.
The letter signed by FIA Additional Director Cybercrime Wing Chaudhry Abdul Rauf ordered all additional directors of the FIA in Rawalpindi to register inquiries against the six journalists and four groups named in the letter. They include:
1. Matiullah Jan
2. Murtaza Solangi
3. Azaz Syed
4. Ammar Masood
5. Umer Cheema
6. Ahmed Waqas Goraya
7. Majlis-i-Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM)
8. Imamia Students Organization (ISO)
9. Hizbul Tahrir Pak
10. Tameer-i-Watan Party
“A targeted social media campaign was planned/executed against the [crown prince’s] visit, during which [a] few social media activists and groups remained particularly consistent/active till the very last day of the visit,” the letter said, adding that:
“These activists displayed the picture of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi on their social media profile DPs which conveyed a very disrespectful message to the visiting guest.” Speaking about the groups that will be probed, the letter said: “These groups/party’s members were found most active on social media against Mohammad Bin Salman’s visit to Pakistan.”
All additional directors were asked to submit a report on their inquiries to Deputy Director Ayaz Khan on a daily basis.