ISLAMABAD: Even before the enactment of Prevention of Electronic Crimes (PEC) Act 2016,
public bodies have started filing complaints with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) against
individuals for alleged misuse of social media to defame the organisation and its management.
The latest complaint has been filed by Comsats Institute of Information Technology (CIIT)
Lahore against a former employee for using Facebook for “instigating and misleading the
students to stage strikes against the management of Comsats”.
The complaint was filed by Rashid A Khan, Additional Registrar of CIIT Lahore, against a
former assistant professor Yasser Majeed Siddiqi for his Facebook posts. According to
documents, the Cyber Crime Circle of FIA has started investigating the case and summoned the
former CIIT employee for questioning. Senior Investigator Rana Obaidullah Minhas is probing
the case.
“A former assistant professor Yasser Majeed Siddiqi, who was removed from service on account
of gross misconduct on 23-01- 2015, is instigating and misleading the students to stage strikes
against the management of Comsats for the past many months,” says the complaint.
It says Yasser Siddiqi has launched a vicious campaign of defaming Comsats on social media
and “his nefarious design is aimed at taking personal revenge against this institution”. It says the
accused has a network of students whom he uses in his malicious designs on the pretext of Dual
Degree Programme with Lancaster University, UK which is a sub-judicious matter in the Lahore
High Court. The complaints allege that Facebook posts of the accused are damaging the peaceful
environment of the institute.
However, talking to The News, Yasser Siddiqi denied all the allegations, saying his job was
terminated on 23-01- 2015 without mention of any charge and he was awarded three-month
salary in lieu of the notice period. According to clause 6 of the job contract, a person deserves no
notice period if his job is terminated on the charge of gross misconduct.
Siddiqi said he has already filed a writ petition 2902/15 in the Lahore High Court urging the
court to declare the notification illegal and unlawful.
“I am the person who took oath from the students that they would never adopt any violent means
for fulfilment of their demands. I led them to file a number of writ petitions in Lahore High
Court. Writ Petition no: 3543/15 Mohsin Ilyas vs CIIT etc is the main writ petition,” he said.
Siddiqi said CIIT actually received negative publicity in mainstream media for sacking of its ex-
pro rector over fake PhD degree. He said if there is nothing wrong within the CIIT itself then
how come mere posting on Facebook wall can damage peaceful environment of the campus.
When contacted, an official of the FIA confirmed that investigations are underway on the
complaint of CIIT against its former employee.