UK-based PTI social media activist Shayan Ali booked under anti-terror law

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad police have registered a case against UK-based Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) social media activist Shayan Ali under anti-terror law.

The first information report (FIR) filed at the Ramna Police Station states that Shayan made videos of a judicial officer in London and harassed him, as was evident from various videos circulating on social media.

The FIR added: "An attempt was made to attack a judicial officer, he was saved by a security official."

In the FIR available with Thenews.com.pk, the Ramna Police Station SHO Nasir Iqbal filed the FIR on grounds of the various clips circulating on social media.

"In one video which went viral on social media, Shayan said that he would make the life of the judicial officer hell who was come to a training at an educational institution in the United Kingdom," the FIR stated.

Earlier this month, a clip of Shayan chasing around Islamabad Additional District and Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar — who sentenced former prime minister Imran Khan for concealment of assets and corrupt practices — at the Hull University where the judge was attending human rights and the rule of law programme.

PTI activists, including Shayan, descended on the university campus to protest against the jurist seeking his expulsion.

The university, however, said: "The current cohort has been selected by the Islamabad High Court, the Peshawar High Court and the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The University has no role in the selection of judges."

The FIR further contended: "I saw a second clip, recorded at the airport terminal in which Shayan and his team were holding a placard with the name of Judicial officer and said that they would hold the traitor Judicial officer to account.

"They also vowed to chase the Judicial officer to the educational institution where he was attending official training."

The report asserted that Shayan had also called on other Pakistanis to join him in "making the official's life hell".

The complainant added that he had seen videos of Shayan chasing the judicial officer and making recordings of all judicial officers inside the building through a mirror wall, including female officers for "nefarious designs".

Another point of concern raised by SHO Nasir was that Shayan had said "chor [thief], hunter is coming for you" along with shouting at the judicial officer, calling him "shameless and corrupt" and alleging that he was "selling the country and being stooges".

"The security officials prevented a physical attack on the Judicial officer," the FIR stated, adding that a very dangerous situation was created by Shayan, his team, and other protesters, especially Sara Mir Gilgati and Imran Khalil, who was "claiming leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf UK by not confusing themselves to the designated areas for a peaceful protest".

The report also accused Khalil of claiming to have made a reservation in Holiday Inn Marina Hall to terrorize the judicial officer.

Moreover, Adil Farooq Raja, another prominent PTI social media activist, joined the activities online by making these videos aiding and abetting the "terrorist activators", the FIR claimed.

These actions by Shayan, his team Sarah Mir, Farooq Raja, and others, the FIR stated, were designed to "coerce and intimidate" the Pakistani authorities especially the judicial officers to force them to discharge their lawful duties in a certain way i.e. to benefit a political party through their decisions and to refrain them from discharging their lawful duties.

It added that these individuals also intended to create a sense of fear and insecurity in society.

The FIR stated: "Shayan committed acts of terrorism and glorified terrorist activities to attain political objectives, and they obstructed the learned judge in the discharge of his duties and assaulted him for restraining from his duties."