The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has completed its investigation into journalists and social media activists accused of spreading fake news, 24NewsHD TV Channel reported on Monday.
According to the channel report, under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 15 cases have been registered, and over 50 individuals have been issued summons.
According to the FIA Cyber Crime Wing Lahore, a crackdown is underway against those using social media to propagate misinformation about state institutions and sensitive figures.
Authorities have vowed large-scale legal action to curb the spread of fake news online.
On March 11, the FIA Cyber Crime Wing began formally registering cases under PECA, targeting individuals accused of spreading propaganda against the Pakistan Army and government officials.
Two cases were filed against PTI-affiliated figures, including Dr Shahbaz Gill, Adil Raja, Ahmad Noorani, Shafiqur Rehman, Sabir Shakir, and Waqar Malik. The FIRs include charges under PECA as well as cyberterrorism provisions.
Meanwhile, Rawalpindi police registered a case under PECA 2016 against a shopkeeper accused of inciting public outrage against the traffic police yesterday (March 23).
The case, filed at Cantt Police Station on the complaint of Traffic Warden Imran Sikandar, falls under Section 21(1)(d) of PECA, which criminalises the misuse of digital content with malicious intent.
The accused allegedly recorded and posted a video of a vehicle being towed for illegal parking, which later went viral.
In another case on March 14, the FIA launched an investigation against actor and model Nadia Hussain for allegedly making baseless accusations against the agency.
The probe follows an Instagram post by Nadia in which she accused an individual posing as an FIA officer of attempting to defraud her. This comes shortly after the arrest of her husband, Atif Khan, in a separate case.
Reporter: Irfan Malik