Intelligence agencies officials included in team probing propaganda against Lasbela tragedy

ISLAMABAD, August 8: The government on Monday while expanding the scope of the joint inquiry team on the issue of investigating the negative propaganda on social media related to the Lasbela helicopter crash and the martyrs, included two officials of the intelligence agencies in the team.
The Ministry of Interior has issued the notification of the six-member team to be constituted by the FIA.
Lt. Colonel Saad of the ISI and Waqar Nisar Deputy Director Intelligence Bureau will represent, the joint inquiry team of FIA and intelligence agencies will investigate under the supervision of Additional Director Cybercrime FIA Mohammad Jafar. The team includes FIA Director, FIA Cyber Crime Wing Waqaruddin Syed, Additional Director, Cyber Crime Ayaz Khan and Assistant Director Imran Haider.
According to the authorities, the six-member joint inquiry team of FIA and intelligence agencies will find out those who ran the negative campaign related regarding the helicopter accident and the martyrs. The team will also find out who was behind these elements or who were involved in running this campaign to defame the country.
Following the inquiry by the Joint Inquiry Team, legal action will be taken by registering cases against those found involved.
Earlier, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) had condemned the social media campaign on the tragic Pakistan Army helicopter crash which left six military personnel martyred.
The helicopter that had gone missing this week on Monday as it was en route from Quetta to Karachi. The personnel in the chopper were overseeing the flood relief efforts in the southwest of the country.
“The regretful social media campaign after the unfortunate helicopter crash on August 1 has caused deep anguish and distress among Shuhada families and rank and file of the Armed Forces,” said the military’s media wing.
The statement further added: “While the whole nation stood with the institution in this difficult time certain insensitive quarters resorted to hurtful and derogatory comments on social media which is unacceptable and highly condemnable.” Separately, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Spokesperson Major General Babar Iftikhar on Friday ruled out any chance that Pakistan’s soil has been used in the killing of Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Afghanistan.