Who could come under the scrutiny of the JIT?

Islamabad: In response to escalating concerns over a coordinated anti-state social media campaign, the Ministry of Interior has established a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) under Section 30 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016.

This initiative, led by the Inspector General of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Police, involves senior officials from various agencies, including the FIA’s Cybercrime and Counter Terrorism Wing, as well as the ICT Police’s Counter Terrorism Department.

The JIT’s primary objective is to probe the organized objectives of individuals behind the malicious social media campaign, which has been implicated in causing public disorder and targeting the judiciary.

This action follows the government’s recent establishment of special courts dedicated to handling PECA Act cases, comprising additional district and sessions judges and civil judges from East and West.

The campaign, which began in January 2024 after a Supreme Court ruling against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party’s electoral symbol, has led to scrutiny of over 500 social media accounts and registration of 100 inquiries.

Arrests, including that of PTI’s Information Secretary Raoof Hasan, and the deployment of an internet firewall to filter and track objectionable content are part of broader measures to address the situation and maintain national security.

The PenPK team has conducted a research-based analysis of the country’s social media landscape and the factors that prompted the government to form a Joint Investigation Team (JIT).