AJK orders re-polling at 23 stations in Bagh

LAHORE: Authorities have arrested 28 suspects in Lahore, Faisalabad and Multan as part of a major crackdown on organised online fraud, exposing alleged schemes that relied on impersonation, fake investment opportunities and fabricated official identities to deceive citizens. The arrests were made during a province-wide operation by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) Punjab, directed by Punjab Director Muhammad Ali Wasim, officials said. Investigators also seized 24 mobile phones and a laptop, which are now being examined for evidence that could lead to other members of the alleged network. The investigation has revealed how fraudsters allegedly manipulated trust to convince victims to hand over large sums of money. Millions allegedly lost in Lahore scam In Lahore, 18 suspects were arrested in separate operations. Investigators said the suspects allegedly impersonated relatives, visa agents, government officials and personnel associated with the Punjab Safe Cities Authority. In one case, suspects allegedly posed as both a relative and a visa agent and persuaded a victim to transfer Rs25.86 million. The case has highlighted how scammers can combine apparently familiar identities with urgent requests to make their schemes appear legitimate. Rs54.66m trading fraud uncovered Three suspects were arrested in Faisalabad in connection with alleged online trading fraud and unauthorised access to a company email account. According to investigators, a victim was shown fabricated trading records, digital-wallet balances and purported profit statements to create the impression that substantial returns were being generated. After being persuaded to invest, the victim allegedly lost Rs54.66 million, investigators said. The case demonstrates the growing sophistication of investment scams, where criminals allegedly use manipulated digital information to make fraudulent platforms appear genuine. Multan arrests expose impersonation tactics In Multan, seven suspects were arrested for allegedly posing as relatives, bank employees and individuals claiming to be based in Britain. Officials said victims were approached with various demands, including payments supposedly required for prize money, customs clearance, taxes and visa renewals. Such tactics typically create a sense of urgency, leaving victims with little time to verify the identity of the caller or the authenticity of the demand. Digital evidence now under forensic examination NCCIA investigators are examining the seized devices through forensic analysis. Financial transactions, call records and digital communications are also being reviewed to establish the full extent of the alleged operation and identify other people who may be connected to it. The crackdown comes amid growing concern over online financial fraud in Pakistan. The NCCIA’s own statistics identify financial fraud as a major category of reported cybercrime. The latest arrests underscore a simple but increasingly important warning: an apparently familiar voice, official-looking message or promising investment opportunity may not be what it seems. Authorities are expected to continue the investigation as they trace the alleged network and follow the digital and financial trails left behind.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has blocked more than 1.54 million URLs linked to prohibited and unlawful content on social media platforms, according to official documents. The documents show that 1,065,671 URLs related to immoral content have been blocked. Another 563 URLs in the same category are under review, while 9,528 have been rejected. In the terrorism-related category, 179,285 URLs were referred for blocking, of which 141,897 URLs have been blocked. A further 23,241 URLs are currently under review. The documents also reveal that 136,891 URLs related to content deemed against the sanctity of Islam were processed by the authority. Similarly, 125,427 URLs concerning content considered against Pakistan’s security and defence were processed. Of these, 74,059 URLs were blocked. The PTA also processed 76,526 URLs under the category of sectarian and hate speech. In the proxy category, the authority processed 10,319 URLs, blocking 10,318 of them. Under the defamation and impersonation category, 44,200 URLs were processed, while 17,356 URLs were blocked. According to the documents, a total of 1,542,800 URLs across various categories have been blocked. Meanwhile, 76,874 URLs remain under review, while 106,629 URLs have been rejected. The figures reflect the PTA’s ongoing efforts to monitor and restrict online content that falls under Pakistan’s prohibited-content regulations.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on Sunday said the party should consider rejecting the results of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections and boycott the third phase of polling, alleging widespread irregularities and electoral misconduct. Speaking at a press conference alongside PPP leader Sherry Rehman and other party members in Islamabad, the former prime minister clarified that the proposal reflected his personal opinion, adding that the final decision would be made by the party’s central leadership. Ashraf alleged that the elections were neither free, fair nor transparent, warning that such results would fail to gain public acceptance. He said political workers were well aware of constituencies where the party had strong support and accused the authorities of manipulating outcomes in areas where the PPP expected to perform well. Expressing disappointment over the second phase of the AJK elections, he said the PPP had already submitted documented evidence of irregularities during the first phase. He referred to one constituency where polling could not be held because election materials allegedly failed to reach polling stations. Ashraf questioned the explanation, saying election materials are normally delivered a day before polling and not on election day. He argued that such failures reflected serious administrative shortcomings. The PPP leader also alleged that party workers were assaulted and forcibly removed from polling stations during voting. He said the PPP had formed a joint committee with its coalition partner, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), after the first phase in the hope that the Election Commission would ensure greater vigilance during the second phase. However, he claimed that similar incidents were repeated despite those efforts. While acknowledging that the PML-N remains a coalition ally, Ashraf questioned the party’s role in the alleged irregularities. He asked whether such conduct was consistent with democratic values and said transparent elections were the Election Commission’s foremost constitutional responsibility. He further alleged that the Chief Election Commissioner had failed to take action on any major complaint and accused the Election Commission of acting under the influence of a political party. According to Ashraf, the overall conduct of the elections suggested that the process had been pre-planned. The former prime minister also alleged that current AJK Speaker and Acting President Chaudhry Latif Akbar was physically attacked by PML-N supporters. He claimed that Akbar was abused, assaulted and punched during the incident, criticising attempts to describe the episode as a mere verbal altercation. Ashraf further claimed that a long-time PPP worker was killed in the Khawra constituency and questioned the credibility of an electoral process in which, he alleged, violence had overshadowed voting. He also referred to the Kotli constituency, where polling reportedly could not be completed because election materials did not reach polling stations, saying it was the Election Commission’s responsibility to ensure timely delivery. He added that voting was also suspended at several polling stations in the constituency of Bazil Naqvi.