Imran Riaz, Gill booked in Maryam-UAE president's fake picture case

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) nominated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shahbaz Gill and journalist Imran Riaz Khan in a case pertaining AI-generated social media content involving Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, ARY News reported citing sources.

According to details, the FIA has already arrested three individuals from Lahore, Muzaffargarh, and Faisalabad for running a social media campaign against the Punjab chief minister and UAE President.

The FIA Cybercrime Wing has also nominated Shahbaz Gul and Imran Riyaz in the case, and efforts are being made to arrest them soon.

The arrested individuals, identified as Nadeem Javed, Muhammad Ejaz, and Amer Abbas, are accused of creating and disseminating fake videos targeting high-profile personalities, including the Punjab CM and UAE President.

Cases have been registered against the accused for running a malicious campaign against the dignitaries. Further investigations are underway to apprehend other suspects involved in the case.

A combined investigation team has been formed comprising deputy directors from Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan, and Lahore to arrest other suspects.

According to the FIA sources, 20 social media accounts responsible for sharing fake images of Maryam Nawaz have been identified. Besides arresting three suspects, the FIA is also conducting raids to apprehend the remaining culprits.

Read more: Culprits behind Maryam Nawaz’s viral edited pictures to face the music

To widen the scope of the investigation, a joint investigation team has been constituted, with Additional Director Sarfaraz Chaudhry appointed as its head. The team includes Deputy Directors from Lahore, Multan, and Faisalabad.

Earlier, the FIA Cybercrime Wing launched investigation into the edited pictures of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on social media.

The inquiry was initiated following a request from the Punjab government. The edited pictures, which appear to show Maryam Nawaz with the President of the UAE, were widely shared on social media platforms.

The FIA stated that action will be taken against those responsible for uploading and sharing the edited content.