ISLAMABAD: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has registered a case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President and MNA Junaid Akbar over his remarks about the party’s planned September 27 protest in Islamabad.
The case was registered on behalf of the state through Muhammad Umair Warsi, a technical assistant at the NCCIA’s Cyber Crime Reporting Centre in Islamabad.
The FIR invokes Sections 9, 10 and 11 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).
According to the FIR, a report was submitted to the NCCIA over the alleged dissemination of anti-state content through Akbar’s official TikTok account. The account has around 339,500 followers, the FIR stated.
The FIR alleged that Akbar shared a statement that threatened the government and created fear or insecurity in society.
It quoted Akbar as saying: “We will turn Islamabad into Somnath; just as there were 17 attacks on Somnath, there will be 17 attacks on Islamabad.”
The FIR alleged that the remarks promoted hatred and encouraged people to take the law into their own hands. It also cited possible risks to public safety and government and public property.
Junaid Akbar Clarifies Remarks
Akbar made the remarks while addressing a gathering in Peshawar on September 20. He said PTI supporters would approach Islamabad through multiple routes, including the motorway and Grand Trunk Road.
He also mentioned routes through the Margalla Hills and Dera Ismail Khan. His remarks came ahead of PTI’s planned September 27 march.
Akbar later rejected criticism of his statement and said his reference to Somnath had been given a “wrong spin”.
He said PTI workers had remained peaceful in the past and would continue to protest peacefully within the Constitution. He also urged party workers to prevent anyone from damaging the movement.
The development comes amid heightened tensions ahead of the PTI protest, which the party has planned to demand the release of its incarcerated founder, Imran Khan.
An Islamabad-based trader has also filed a contempt petition against Akbar in the Islamabad High Court over the remarks. The petition alleges that his statement encouraged people to march towards Islamabad in violation of the court’s September 14 directions.
Government Warns Against Unlawful Protest
The government has said peaceful protesters can exercise their constitutional right to assemble but warned against actions that threaten public safety or disrupt movement.
State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry said authorities would enforce the law during the September 27 protest.
The PTI has maintained that its workers will hold a peaceful protest and has continued to call for political dialogue.
The historical reference to Somnath relates to Mahmud of Ghazni’s campaign against the Somnath temple in India in the 11th century. Historical accounts say Mahmud’s forces captured Somnath and destroyed the temple.
