Imran Khan’s sister booked under cyber crime law

Pakistan’s National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has registered a case against Noreen Niazi, the sister of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), according to the First Information Report (FIR).

The FIR states that the case has been registered under Sections 20 and 26A of the PECA, Pakistan’s cybercrime law, which governs offences committed through electronic means.

According to the FIR, Noreen Niazi allegedly made “false and baseless allegations” against Pakistan and its armed forces. It further alleges that the material she shared was intended to undermine public confidence in the state and create panic among the public.

The FIR also accuses Niazi of disseminating false, provocative, insulting and threatening content through electronic means. It further alleges that she carried out organised propaganda against state institutions and security agencies.

The NCCIA registered the case under Section 20 and Section 26A of the PECA, the FIR states.

No statement from Noreen Niazi or Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was included in the FIR or provided alongside the registration of the case.

Earlier, the NCCIA had summoned Noreen Niazi after an interview of hers went viral on social media. In a notice issued under Section 160 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the agency directed her to appear before its Cyber Crime Reporting Centre in Islamabad on Monday to record her statement as part of an inquiry.

The agency alleged that Niazi had disseminated “false, offensive, and inflammatory” content to defame state institutions and spread what it described as “fake narratives”. The notice warned that failure to appear could attract legal action under Section 174 of the Pakistan Penal Code for non-compliance with a lawful order.

The notice was issued after Niazi made remarks about Maarka-e-Haq and the Pakistan Army during a YouTube interview. She alleged that Maarka-e-Haq was the result of collaboration between Pakistan’s armed forces and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and further claimed that India had refrained from attacking Pakistan at Israel’s request because Pakistan was moving towards recognising Israel. Her remarks were criticised by politicians and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.