Man Accused of Cybercrime Fuelling UK Riots Acquitted by Pakistani Court

A Pakistani court has acquitted Farhan Asif, a local man accused of cybercrime offenses in relation to the recent riots in the UK. The sources say that Farhan was allegedly involved in spreading fake news on social media that incited the riots. The violence erupted after fake news became viral online, falsely accusing a Muslim migrant of murdering three young girls in a knife attack in Southport, England.

Farhan runs a web publication that was supposedly involved in spreading fake news. Consequently, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested him last week. The charges against him arose from allegations that he shared an article on X, which falsely claimed that the murderer was a Muslim immigrant. The post also included photos of the corpses, intensifying the unrest in Britain.

However, yesterday, Farhan’s lawyer, Rana Rizwan Akhtar, announced that his client had been cleared of all charges. “He has been absolved in the investigation,” Akhtar told a news source, clarifying that the FIA could not bring any substantial evidence linking Asif to illegal activities.

The sources say that during the probe, Asif fully cooperated with authorities, and provided access to all his social media accounts and electronic devices. After thoroughly reviewing the evidence, the FIA submitted a report to the court, which led to Asif’s acquittal.

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Pakistan Arrests Man Accused of Fueling UK Riots