Shopkeeper faces Peca charges over viral traffic police video

RAWALPINDI: A second case has been registered in Rawalpindi under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) 2016 -- this time against a shopkeeper who has been accused of circulating a video allegedly intended to incite public hatred against the traffic police.

The incident involved a vehicle allegedly parked in a wrong parking zone outside the shopkeeper’s establishment. The case was filed at the Cantt Police Station on the complaint of a traffic warden. According to the police report, the traffic warden issued a challan ticket “in accordance with traffic regulations and subsequently had the vehicle towed”.

The shopkeeper, whose identity has not been released, allegedly recorded the vehicle being towed and then shared the video on social media platforms. The police report states that the video was “deliberately circulated to generate public animosity and provoke unrest against the traffic police”.

The case has been registered under sub-section 1D of Section 21 of the PECA 2016, which deals with offenses related to disseminating information that harms or is likely to harm the reputation or privacy of a person.

“The accused’s actions are a punishable offense under the Peca 2016,” stated the police report. This incident marks the second case registered under Peca in Rawalpindi recently.