Daily Times

The Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Cybercrime Wing has launched investigation against certain journalists and parties for allegedly executing “a targeted social media campaign” against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman (MBS) during his recent visit to Pakistan.

The inquiry started with a notification dated March 13, 2019 to all Addition Directors of Cybercrime Wing of FIA ‘directed to register the enquiries’ against all the activists/groups mentioned in the notification including Murtaza Solangi, Matiullah Jan, Ammar Masood, Azaz Syed and Umar Cheema along with social media activist Ahmed Waqas Goraya and political organisations including Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM), Imamia Students Organization (ISO), Hizb-ul-Tahrir Pakistan and Tameer-e-Watan Party, Islamabad.

The letter stated that “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.”

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.”
Despite marked as confidential, the notification has been circulating on social media and is being condemned by journalists and activists.

The Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Cybercrime Wing has launched investigation against certain journalists and parties for allegedly executing “a targeted social media campaign” against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman (MBS) during his recent visit to Pakistan.

Despite marked confidential, the notification is circulating on social media and is being condemned by journalists and activists.

It was cited in the notification that action against the journalists and activist Ahmed Waqas Goraya and others has been directed because they ‘displayed the picture of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khoshoggi on their social media profile DPs which conveyed a very disrespectful message to the visiting dignitary/guest’.

Journalist and activist Aima khosa questioned:
Q 1. Did MBS check Twitter, feel disrespected and convey his sentiments to the Pakistani leadership?

Q 2. Is this government so weak that it can be made to look bad by a mere change of a profile picture?

Q 3. Is there no difference bw the journalists and activists mentioned?

Investigative journalist, Waseem Abbasi said, “So much for press freedom and constitutional rights under a ‘democratic’ government.”

Crown prince Mohammad bin Salman has been under pressure after the murder of Saudi Arabian dissident, author, columnist for The Washington Post in October last year inside Saudi embassy in Istanbul. Salman has been linked with the murder since Khashoggi was a fierce critic of the crown prince’s tactics.