ISLAMABAD: A local District Court has issued non-bailable arrest warrants against Sohail Afridi, Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, for failing to appear before the court in a high-profile case involving online content.
The charges stem from allegations of making misleading statements about state institutions and damaging the reputation under Pakistan’s Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).
The case was registered by the National Counter Terrorism and Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), a division of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), which accused Afridi of disseminating false information through online platforms. According to court records, the content in question is alleged to have targeted key state organs, including the military and judiciary, and included defamatory remarks about the KP Chief Minister.
This development has reignited debate over the use of PECA in cases involving free speech and digital expression. Human rights advocates and legal experts have raised concerns that such prosecutions may be used to suppress dissent, particularly against journalists, activists, and social media users. Similar cases in recent years—such as those involving lawyers Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha—have sparked national and international scrutiny over due process, fair trial rights, and the balance between national security and freedom of expression.
The court has ordered Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s production before it, and authorities are now seeking his arrest. The case remains under judicial review, with ongoing legal challenges expected as civil society groups call for transparency and accountability in the application of cybercrime laws.
