Canadian missing in Lahore found in NCCIA custody

A Canadian doctoral student who had gone missing last week has been taken into custody by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) in Lahore. The agency produced Hamza Ahmad Khan before a magistrate on Monday, sending him to jail for 14 days on judicial remand.

On Sunday, police registered a case of kidnapping based on a complaint from his friend. According to the first information report (FIR), Hamza vanished around 3 am on February 19 after leaving his residence in DHA Phase 10.

It emerged that Hamza was detained by NCCIA for allegedly spreading anti-state content on social media platforms X and Instagram. The cybercrime agency, during routine patrols, discovered accounts associated with Hamza actively disseminating misinformation targeting state institutions.

The FIR registered against Hamza stated that the cyber crime act sections 20 (offences against the dignity of a natural person), 24 (cyber stalking) and 26A (spoofing) were invoked. It noted that the content in question was published intentionally, making it publicly accessible, which posed significant reputational risks to Pakistan both domestically and internationally.

The FIR detailed how Hamza’s posts were inflammatory, designed to incite public unrest and undermine social order. The suspect allegedly uploaded derogatory content against state functionaries with the intention of harming their reputation, including constitutional and political leadership in Pakistan. Such mischievous statements could have dire consequences nationally and internationally for the country.

The NCCIA emphasized that these posts would severely damage the state’s image, potentially leading to severe repercussions both within and beyond its borders.