LAHORE (The Thursday Times) — Pakistan’s cybercrime agency has arrested 13 people across Punjab in a province-wide operation against anti-state activity on social media, in what officials described as a targeted move to curb digital campaigns against state institutions, the army and government functionaries.
The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency said the arrests were made over the past two weeks in Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Multan, following instructions from NCCIA Punjab Director Muhammad Ali Waseem, who recently took charge.
According to an agency spokesperson, the suspects were allegedly involved in sharing content that targeted state institutions and government authorities across multiple social media platforms. Officials said two of the arrested individuals were also accused of posting material targeting Gulf countries.
The suspects have been booked under different sections of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016. The NCCIA said separate cases had been registered and digital evidence had been recovered.
In Lahore, the agency said Usman, Qamar, Abbas and Tahir Mushtaq were arrested. Hamid Raza, Imran Afzal and Waqar Ahmed were arrested from Gujranwala, while Ismail and Siddiq were arrested from Faisalabad. Arshad, Umar, Junaid and Azhar were apprehended in Multan.
The NCCIA said the content shared by the suspects had not merely criticised policy or public officials, but had allegedly crossed into material that could damage public confidence, inflame sentiment and undermine state order. Officials said the misuse of social media to spread provocative or misleading content against state institutions remains a punishable offence under Pakistani law.
The operation comes amid growing concern inside Pakistan’s security and governance circles over the role of digital platforms in amplifying coordinated narratives, disinformation and hostile propaganda. Officials have repeatedly warned that online campaigns directed at the army, state institutions and foreign partners can create instability beyond the digital space, particularly when such content is framed to provoke anger, weaken public trust or damage Pakistan’s external relationships.
For the NCCIA, the latest arrests appear to mark a more assertive posture in Punjab, where the agency says it is moving against accounts and individuals suspected of using social media to target the state under the cover of political expression.
The agency said the cases would be pursued on merit and handled in accordance with the law.
Pakistani officials maintain that free expression does not extend to organised digital activity that incites disorder, spreads hostile propaganda or targets state institutions. The latest operation suggests that the NCCIA intends to treat anti-state online campaigns not as routine political speech, but as a matter of public order, cyber enforcement and national stability.
