Mansehra man arrested for blackmailing student with 'illicit' pictures

The Federal Investigation Agency's cybercrime cell has arrested a man, hailing from Mansehra, on charges of harassing and blackmailing his classmate.

According to the FIR, Kashif befriended a teenage woman on Facebook from a fake ID. Over the course of time he forced her to send him "illicit" pictures of herself. "Kashif promised my sister he would marry her," the complainant said.

After few days, the suspect, however, started blackmailing the young woman. "He send her photos on my father's WhatsApp and threatened to leak them on social media if we didn't pay him Rs500,000," the teenager's brother added.

Earlier this week, the police arrested Kashif from a pizza shop in Lahore's DHA Phase V. During questioning, digital evidence was seized from him, which corroborated his crime.

A case under the following sections of the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 has been registered against him:

• 20 - malicious code (whoever willfully and without authorization writes, offers, makes available, distributes or transmits malicious code through an information system or device, with the intent to cause harm to any information system or data resulting in the corruption, destruction, alteration, suppression, theft or loss of the information system or data shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or with fine which may extend to Rs1 million or with both.
• 21 - cyber stalking (a person commits the offence of cyber stalking who, with the intent to coerce or intimidate or harass any person uses information system network, the internet, website, electronic mail or any other similar means of communication).
• 24 - Legal recognition of offences committed in relation to information system (an offence under this Act or any other law shall not be denied legal recognition and enforcement for the sole reason of such offence being committed in relation to or through the use of an information system.

Harassment and online abuse in Pakistan

If you or anyone you know is a survivor of harassment, then you can contact the following organisations:

• The Child Helpline – 1121
• Punjab Commission on the Status of Women- 1043
• FIA cyber crime wing- report the complaint at complaints@fia.gov.pk or helpdesk@nr3c.gov.pk
• Madadgaar Toll-Free Helpline- 1098
• Digital Rights Foundation’s Cyber Harassment Toll-Free Helpline- 0800-39393
• Sahil Toll-Free helpline- 0800-13518
• Pakistan Citizen portal