Police in Islamabad on Monday charged two journalists—Shaheen Sehbai, Wajahat Saeed Khan—and two YouTubers—Adil Raja and Syed Haider Raza Mehdi—for allegedly “abetting mutiny” and inciting people to attack military installations during the May 9 riots triggered by the arrest of PTI chief Imran Khan.
All four are based out of Pakistan, with Raja based in the U.K.; Sehbai in Washington; Khan in New York; and Mehdi in Canada. According to the First Information Report registered against them—on the complaint of Muhammad Aslam—the four were inciting the public to “attack military installations, spread terrorism, and create chaos in the country.”
In the FIR, Aslam claims he encountered 20-25 people in Islamabad on May 9 who were sharing “screenshots of tweets and video messages” of Raja, Khan, Mehdi and Sehbai. He said he subsequently checked their social media accounts and claims to have found that “all these people, under a planned conspiracy and mutual agreement, are aiding anti-state agencies, defaming the military and attempting to create mutiny in the Army.”
The complaint also alleges that the people nominated in the FIR sought to “weaken the Army” and “increase terrorism” in the country. He accused them of indulging in “foolish talks” against the Army with the aim to “incite terrorist activities and spread fear in the government.” The ultimate aim, he alleged, was to incite the public to attack government and military installations and create chaos through terrorism. The FIR demands criminal action against all four accused.
The FIR cites sections 120B (punishment of criminal conspiracy), 121 (attempting to wage war or abetting waging of war against Pakistan), 121A (conspiracy to commit offenses punishable by Section 121), and 131 (abetting mutiny, or attempting to seduce a soldier, sailor or airman from his duty) of the Pakistan Penal Code, as well as sections 7 (punishment for acts of terrorism) and 21A (cordons for Terrorist Investigation) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. The sections cited are punishable by life imprisonment and even death.
On May 9, supporters and workers of the PTI attacked various civil and military installations, including the Lahore corps commander’s residence and the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. Dubbing the day as a “black day” in Pakistan’s history, the Army has vowed to ensure all those responsible are prosecuted under all relevant laws, with growing calls for their trials through military courts under the Pakistan Army Act and Official Secrets Act.