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LAHORE:
The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday issued a stern warning to the director general of the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), ordering him to appear in person on January 15 and warning that he would be held personally responsible if further defamatory content targeting judges surfaces on social media.
Justice Ali Zia Bajwa issued the directive while hearing a petition filed by lawyer Mian Dawood, challenging an alleged campaign organized on social media aimed at maligning judges of the higher judiciary.
During the proceedings, the judge remarked that the court considered the matter serious and would take it to its logical conclusion.
Observing the nature of the campaign, Justice Bajwa said “we will get to the bottom of this matter”, terming the campaign against judges as “cyberterrorism”.
The court ordered authorities to compile lists of individuals and social media accounts involved in the campaign and asked who was orchestrating the effort behind the scenes. The judge expressed strong dissatisfaction with the NCCIA’s apparent inaction, questioning whether the agency’s suo motu powers had indeed ceased to exist.
Speaking directly to NCCIA Punjab chief Hashmat Kamal, the court questioned his silence and demanded an explanation for the lack of concrete action so far.
“Why is the NCCIA sleeping? Such a horrible campaign is being waged against the judges and you remain silent,” the court observed.
When the NCCIA official responded that the matter was being monitored periodically, Justice Bajwa questioned why the agency had failed to fulfill its legal obligations.
Referring to the relevant legal provisions, the court reminded the authorities that the law requires measures to remove illegal content and asked whether even a single tangible measure had been taken in accordance with these requirements.
The court also sought clarification from Punjab Advocate General Amjad Pervez regarding the provincial government’s stand.
