Police officer arrested for social media post against President Zardari

Karachi police have registered an FIR against its officer for publishing an obscene post on social media against President Asif Ali Zardari, ARY News reported on Friday.

The Sukkun police arrested the officer, identified as Station Investigation Officer (SIO) Abrar Shah, who was stationed at the Ibrahim Haidari police station.

A case has been filed against Abrar Shah on behalf of duty officer Yaqoob of the Sukkun police station, for violating the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 (PECA).

The complaint alleges that on April 2, 2025, SIO Abrar Shah posted obscene and derogatory comments on a Facebook post about the ailing President Asif Ali Zardari, offending several citizens, including the complainant.

The complainant has also provided screenshots of the comments to the police. The investigation into the matter has been transferred to the Investigation Officer (IO) for further proceedings.

Read More: Cases registered under PECA 2025 over social media propaganda

Earlier, cases were registered under Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2025 for spreading propaganda against Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz and state institutions on social media, ARY News reported on Thursday.

According to police, the cases were lodged at Shahdara, Shahdara Town, and Kot Lakhpat police stations under various serious charges, including provisions of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).

As per the FIRs, the accused ‘used’ artificial intelligence to create videos of Maryam Nawaz. These videos were reportedly designed to promote the agenda of anti-state elements on social media.

The FIRs further state that a specific political group was involved in fabricating fake videos as part of a conspiracy to spread unrest. However, no arrests have been made so far.