Lahore, February 23 Pakistan's anti-cybercrime body has arrested a Canadian citizen, believed to be missing since last week in Lahore, for uploading social media posts critical of state institutions and officials.
Canadian research scholar Hamza Ahmad Khan arrived in Pakistan on February 13 to work on his PhD thesis on "anti-imperialist politics" and was staying in the Defence Housing Authority, Lahore.
He was believed to have been abducted by unidentified men on February 19, and a case was registered in this regard.
On Monday, it emerged that Khan was in the custody of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), which produced him before a magistrate who ordered his judicial remand for 14 days.
According to the NCCIA, "it has been identified that specific user accounts on social media platforms – @hamzakk and Instagram user @cvcrything.is.political – are actively disseminating misinformation and disinformation targeting state institutions, including the armed forces. The nature of these posts is inflammatory and appears designed to incite public unrest, spread animosity, and undermine social order."
The agency stated that the propagation of such malicious content poses a significant risk, with the potential to cause severe reputational damage to Pakistan, both domestically and internationally.
"Such mischievous statements/posts render dire consequences nationally and internationally for the state of Pakistan," it added.
Khan has been booked under sections 20, 24, and 26A of the PECA (Amended 2025).
Political activist Ammar Ali Jan said he had recently met Hamza Ahmad Khan in Lahore. He said Khan was working on anti-imperialist politics. "This regime is waging a relentless attack on dissent," he said.