The Islamabad High Court has referred a case under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, relating to a fake image of the Prime Minister filed against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Shandana Gulzar, to the chief justice, seeking to consolidate it with a previously pending PECA case against the accused.
The image in question is a fake image of Prime Minister Shehbaz shaking hands with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. The previous case in question, also filed last year under PECA 2016, alleged that Shandana had made anti-state statements, which was already disputed before the IHC.
The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) had registered a case against her, alleging that she had engaged in anti-state activities and posted fabricated content on social media.
The first information report states that Shandana had spread false and misleading information on social media. The NCCIA officially registered the FIR and launched an investigation.
Read: IHC issues final warning to defendants in PECA case
Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir heard Shandana Gulzar’s petition seeking dismissal of the PECA case. Gulzar appeared in court alongside her lawyer, Moazam Butt, who informed the court that she had been granted protection bail by the Peshawar High Court.
Asked if she had participated in the investigation, her lawyer explained that bail had been extended following the Islamabad bombing. A similar case is already pending in the court of Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro.
Justice Tahir suggested that the two cases could either be consolidated or both be heard in the respective courts. Gulzar’s lawyer expressed confidence in the court’s discretion.
The IHC has now forwarded the requests for consolidation of Shandana Gulzar’s plea to the Chief Justice for further consideration.
