Lahore:

In a first, a female legislator in the Punjab assembly belonging to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), faced allegations of spreading ‘fake news’ in accordance with the newly stated changes to prevent electronic crime law (Peca), it was learned Wednesday.

A compatible compatible for registration of the first information report (FIR) against PML-N member of Punjab Assembly (MPA) Sonia Ashir under PECA. Sonia Samson, mother of a minor rape victim, moved the application to Cyber ​​Crime Wing (CCW) from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

In his application to the CCW director in Lahore for the registration of FIR, Samson accused Ashir and others of spreading false news that the minor’s rape case had been decided and that the court had awarded 25-year-old judgment to the defendant.

According to Samson, the fact was that the defendant was still behind the pillars and his bail after declaration was rejected on January 21, 2025 by Session’s Court. She added that police had not even submitted the Challan of this case to court.

She said these people allegedly made a video and uploaded it on social media to spread the ‘fake news’ which was a crime under Peca. She requested FIA CCW to register a criminal case against MPA to spread fake news.

Meanwhile, Christian’s True Spirit (CTS) – a local NGO that works for women’s and children’s rights – a letter to Punjab chief minister Maryam Nawaz, who requested her to investigate the matter and take appropriate steps to prevent abuse of authority from the public Office holders.

CTS -Director Katherine Sapna said Sonia Ashir, the parliamentary secretary of human rights and minority affairs, conveyed manufactured news on social media. She added that her statement was false and caused unnecessary panic and confusion among the public.

The letter stated that Ashir and her employees had mistakenly stated that they were actively pursuing the legal procedure in the rape case, while CTS diligently fought for justice on behalf of the victim, adding that the hard work of CTS lawyers led to rejection of it accused bail petition.

She added that there was no involvement of MPA Ashir or her group in the case. “This kind of wrong information not only undermines the integrity of the legal process, but also in danger of security and well -being for all the parties involved, especially the victim her family,” Sapna said.

In a speech with the Express Pakinomist, MPA Sonia Ashir rejected the impression that she deliberately spreading fake news. She said the victim’s mother had approached her and told her about the 25-year-old judgment awarded by the right to the defendant.

Ashir said they made the video on exemption of justice to the victim’s family about the information provided to her by the victim’s mother. However, she added that when she was told she was misled, she got the video deleted from the social media account.