The Cyber Crime Circle of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested eight people involved in spreading fake images of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
These suspects, linked to a specific political party, were found to have altered images of both Maryam Nawaz and the President of the UAE.
During a press conference in Lahore, Sarfraz Chaudhry, Additional Director of the FIA’s Cyber Crime Circle, and Assistant Director Zawar Hussain shared details of the investigation.
They announced the creation of a joint task force to address those responsible for sharing the manipulated images on social media, including from the U.S. and other countries.
“We have opened eight cases related to this issue, and all eight suspects have been arrested,” said Sarfraz Chaudhry. Their mobile devices contained posts from political figures Shahbaz Gill and Imran Riaz Khan, suggesting they had been sharing content from them.
Chaudhry criticized the arrested individuals, highlighting their disregard for social media ethics and respect for women. He added that the FIA had contacted foreign authorities to obtain server information and would ensure everyone involved is held accountable.
The joint task force has already presented three suspects to the media. Chaudhry also revealed that materials from Shahbaz Gill were found on the suspects’ devices and that Imran Riaz Khan had used them to spread his content.
“This is a nationwide effort, with investigation teams working across all provinces,” Chaudhry explained. “The suspects used fake Facebook identities to spread the misleading content.”