A suspect allegedly involved in spreading fake news that led to violence by far-right groups in the UK has been arrested in Lahore.
According to DIG Operations Faisal Kamran, the police have apprehended a man named Farhan Asif from Defence Lahore. He has been handed over to the FIA for further investigation.
DIG Operations added that Farhan Asif works for a news platform in Pakistan. He is accused of spreading fake news about the identification of the killer of three girls in the UK.
Reports suggest that this misinformation led to violent protests in the UK.
The incident involved a stabbing attack at a dance club in Southport, North West England, where three girls were killed and several others injured.
A website, Channel 3 Now, falsely claimed on social media that the attacker was a Muslim refugee named Ali Al-Shakati. Following this misinformation, far-right elements in England and Northern Ireland sparked riots and violent protests.
Subsequent investigations by British media revealed that Channel 3 Now, the source of the fake news, was operated from Lahore by Farhan Asif.
Farhan Asif has denied any responsibility for the ensuing violence, downplaying the effects of the misinformation from his website. “I don’t understand how a small article or a minor Twitter account could cause such widespread confusion,” Asif said when approached by news outlet conducting an investigative report.