KARACHI: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has launched a probe into an alleged social media smear campaign targeting Senior Sindh Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon.
The agency acted after Memon filed a criminal defamation complaint on August 9. Online claims had allegedly linked Memon and his family to the murder of 25-year-old entrepreneur Mir Raza Ali.
Following the complaint, NCCIA Karachi summoned four individuals for questioning. Syed Abdullah, Amin Qureshi, Bilal Warsi and Obaid Qureshi must appear at the agency’s Karachi headquarters on August 13 at 11:30am.
The suspects have been directed to bring their original CNICs, relevant documents, evidence and primary digital devices. Investigators will examine the devices during a forensic assessment.
NCCIA Launches Social Media Forensic Audit
Meanwhile, technical teams have started a forensic audit of social media accounts. The investigation targets pages and handles allegedly involved in creating or spreading the disputed claims.
The administrator of the “Karachi Stories” page has also issued a public clarification. The administrator apologised to Memon and retracted unverified claims about his alleged involvement.
Furthermore, investigators said action against other pages spreading the allegations remains underway.
The case originated from viral posts concerning the Mir Raza murder investigation. The posts allegedly claimed that a guest house in Gulistan-e-Jauhar belonged to Memon and served as the location where the victim was tortured.
Memon rejected the allegations as baseless and politically motivated. He subsequently initiated legal proceedings to protect his reputation.
