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WORLD NEWS Thursday 22 augusT 2024
Pakistan authorities charge man with cyber terrorism over

misinformation that sparked riots in U.K.

By BABAR DOGAR and BRI- said Asif was arrested at his
AN MELLEY house in the city for ques-
Associated Press tioning.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — He said Asif has claimed
Authorities in Pakistan on that he was not the source
Wednesday arrested and of the misinformation but
charged a man with cyber that he reposted it from so-
terrorism for his alleged role cial media. Kishwar said Asif
in spreading misinformation ran the Channel3 Now ac-
that led to widespread ri- count, and alleged that he
oting in the U.K. earlier this spread fake news to gain
month. more viewers and income.
The suspect was identified “He regretted over repost-
as freelance web develop- ing fake news,” Kishwar
er Farhan Asif, 32, said Im- told The Associated Press.
ran Kishwar, deputy inspec- “This act on the part of Asif
tor general of investigations amounts to cyber terror-
in Lahore, the capital of ism for which he has been
eastern Punjab province. charged.”
The man is accused of Kishwar added that Asif’s
spreading misinformation arrest was a message for
from YouTube and Face- other YouTubers that they
book about the British teen- should verify facts before
age suspect in a stabbing Members of the public gather outside the Town Hall in Southport, England, Aug. 5, 2024, during a disseminating any informa-
attack that killed three girls vigil for the victims of the stabbing attack last Monday. Associated Press tion.
and injured 10 other peo- Police have handed over
ple July 29 at a dance class suspect was born in the it is managed by people in more than a week of riot- the case to the Federal In-
in Northwest England. U.K. It’s been widely report- Pakistan and the U.S. ing that broke out across vestigation Agency or FIA,
The false information ed in British media that his The site’s editor-in-chief the United Kingdom and which handles cases relat-
claimed that the suspect parents are from Rwanda posted an apology July 31 has led to more than 1,000 ing to the cyber terrorism.
was a recently arrived and said to have Christian for “the misleading infor- arrests. Authorities have FIA said the misinformation
asylum-seeker and had a beliefs. mation published in a re- blamed far-right agita- shared by Asif “created a
name that suggested he Channel3 Now, an ac- cent article on our website, tors for stoking the violent sense of fear, insecurity” in
was Muslim. count on the X social me- Channel3 NOW. We deep- unrest by continuing to England, and added that
After the misinformation led dia platform that purports ly regret any confusion or spread misinformation and it also harmed Pakistan’s
to a violent mob attacking to be a news channel, was inconvenience this may promoting the violent dem- reputation. It was unclear
a mosque near the site of one of the first outlets to have caused.” onstrations online. if Britain had requested his
the stabbing the next day, report the false name, Ali But the false reports were At a news conference in extradition. There is no ex-
police took the unusual Al-Shakati. A Facebook ac- widely disseminated and the eastern city of Lahore, tradition treaty between
step of clarifying that the count for the channel said are blamed for fueling the police official Kishwar Pakistan and the U.K.q

The UAE accepts credentials of Taliban ambassador in a major

diplomatic win for Afghanistan’s rulers

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The The ministry did not respond remain isolated from the rapporteur on the situation frequently criticized the Tal-
United Arab Emirates on to requests for information West, they have pursued of human rights in Afghani- iban’s treatment of women
Wednesday accepted the about Haqqani, who was bilateral ties with major re- stan Richard Bennett has and girls.q
credentials of the Taliban’s previously the Taliban’s en- gional powers. Last week,
ambassador to the oil-rich voy to the UAE. Uzbek Prime Minister Abdul-
Gulf Arab state, the biggest Haqqani is not related to la Aripov arrived in Afghan-
diplomatic coup for Af- the Acting Interior Minister istan in the highest-level vis-
ghanistan’s rulers who are Sirajuddin Haqqani, who in it by a foreign official since
not officially recognized June met the UAE leader, the Taliban returned to
as the country’s legitimate Sheikh Mohammed bin Za- power in Afghanistan three
government. yed Al Nahyan, but he is years ago.
The development, the first from his team. The United Nations says
Taliban ambassador since Sirajuddin Haqqani is the that official recognition of
one was appointed to Chi- current leader of the pow- the Taliban-run Afghani-
na last December, under- erful Haqqani network, a stan is “nearly impossible”
scored the international di- militant movement allied while restrictions on women
vide over how to deal with with the Taliban, and a and girls are in place.
the government now in Ka- designated global terrorist. In a separate develop-
bul. The Ministry of Foreign He is wanted by the United ment Wednesday, a U.N.-
Affairs in Kabul confirmed States for his involvement in appointed rights expert Afghan Taliban Envoy to the United Arab Emirates Badruddin
the news about Badruddin deadly attacks and is also decried the Taliban’s de- Haqqani, far right, walks through an Emirates A380’s business
Haqqani in a post on the on several sanctions lists. cision to bar him from Af- class on display at the Dubai Air Show in Dubai, United Arab
social media platform X. Even though the Taliban ghanistan. The special Emirates, Nov. 13, 2023. Associated Press