LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: The FIA Cyber Crime Wing has arrested former bureaucrat and anchorperson Orya Maqbool Jan.
Orya Maqbool Jan was detained from his residence in Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Phase 6. The FIA has filed a case against him under the Cyber Terrorism Act, accusing him of spreading religious hatred and inciting hostility against institutions.
Azhar Siddique, Jan’s lawyer, confirmed that his client is currently being held at the Gulberg Cyber Crime office. The arrest is linked to Jan’s social media posts, particularly those discussing the Mubarak Sani case. However, Siddique mentioned that they have not yet been provided with the details of the FIR. Jan is expected to be presented before a Judicial Magistrate today.
On January 28, 2024, the FIA had issued notices to 47 journalists and YouTubers, including Jan, for allegedly spreading misinformation and negative propaganda against the Chief Justice of Pakistan and state institutions.
It’s worth noting that the Ministry of Interior had earlier formed a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) under Section 30 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, to address social media campaigns against judges.
The 6-member committee, led by the Additional Director General of the FIA, includes representatives from Inter-Services Intelligence, Intelligence Bureau, Islamabad Police, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, and a co-opted member.
I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.
