Musician Salman Ahmad Has Been Booked Under Cybercrime Law

Musician Salman Ahmad has been booked under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 (PECA) for allegedly sharing content online against state institutions and figures.

The case was registered on April 4 at the Defence A Police Station in Lahore. Sub-Inspector Ikram Hussain filed the complaint under Sections 11 (hate speech) and 20 (offences against the dignity of a natural person) of PECA, along with Sections 500 (punishment for defamation), 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace), and 505-1(C) (statement likely to incite one community against another) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The FIR stated that certain “malicious” elements have been using social media to “spread false and defamatory information” targeting government figures and institutions. It added, “This false campaign is often based on fabricated news and baseless allegations … to mislead the public and create distrust against respected and important institutions and individuals.”

Sub-Inspector Hussain claimed he had been informed of a post made by Salman Ahmad on the platform X (formerly Twitter), alleging that the post aimed to provoke the public against national institutions and personalities. According to the FIR, “Ahmad made a provocative and hateful post on Twitter. The profile has about 265.4K followers, to whom this hateful post is being spread.” Hussain also stated that Ahmad’s post was turning the minds of his followers against national and government institutions and figures.

Read more: Journalist Farhan Mallick Granted Bail In PECA Case

Salman Ahmad was removed from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in December 2024 after he criticised Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, for her involvement in political matters during the protests on November 26. His post drew backlash from PTI supporters, leading to the cancellation of his party membership for allegedly running a campaign against Imran Khan’s family.

Since its introduction in 2016, PECA has faced criticism for being used to suppress dissent. Over the years, politicians, journalists, rights activists, and ordinary citizens have been booked under this law. The National Assembly recently passed a controversial amendment to the cybercrime law, which faced opposition from PTI lawmakers and journalists, many of whom walked out during the session.

Earlier this year, another incident involved the arrest of a WhatsApp group administrator in Pakpattan, Punjab, for allowing a post that allegedly insulted Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. This too was considered a violation of PECA.