ISLSedition cases have been registered against famous TV anchors Arshad Sharif, Sabir Shakir, Sami Ibrahim and Imran Riaz Khan for allegedly criticising state institutions and “abetting mutiny”.
The first information report (FIR) against Imran Riaz Khan was registered in Thatta’s Dhabeji police station under Sections 131 (incitement to mutiny), 153 (provoking to cause riot), 452 (trespassing) and 505 (statement conducing to public mischief) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
According to FIR, the complainant had heard Imran Khan talking against the army and the institutions in a “derogatory and provocative language” on social media.
Meanwhile, a pair of FIRs were also registered against anchorperson Arshad Sharif on Friday and Thursday in Hyderabad and Karachi. The FIRs, copies of which are available with Dawn.com, were registered under Sections 131, 153 and 505 of the PPC.
They referred to Sharif’s comments in a conversation with journalist Matiullah Jan on his YouTube channel wherein he allegedly “disrespected” state institutions and uttered statements that attempted to “spread hate in the army and create a hateful atmosphere”.
Another FIR in Dadu, registered on Friday under PPC Sections 131, 153 and 505, mentioned Sharif and fellow ARY News journalist Sabir Shakir. The FIR said that “derogatory language” regarding state institutions was used in a conversation between the two and analogies were drawn to Mir Jafar and Mir Sadiq. It added that the two were inciting people against the army and state institutions.
A similar FIR was also recently registered against journalist Sami Ibrahim in Attock under Sections 505, 131 and 499 (defamation) of the PPC, which deal with statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred, attempting to seduce a soldier, sailor or airman from his duty.
The FIR was based on a complaint by Akhtar Javaid advocate, a resident of Attock city, who said he had viewed “Canadian Pak News“, Ibrahim’s Youtube channel. He said that Ibrahim had hatched a conspiracy and spread rumours against state institutions in a vlog.
