This incident involves the arrest of a Pakistani man, Farhan Asif, by the Lahore police for allegedly spreading fake news that incited anti-immigrant riots in the United Kingdom. Farhan, who reportedly works for a news platform in Pakistan, was apprehended in Lahore’s DHA area and handed over to the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Cybercrime Wing for further investigation. DIG Operations Faisal Kamran confirmed the arrest, stating that Farhan is accused of disseminating false information regarding a knife attack that resulted in the deaths of three young girls in the UK on July 29, 2024.
The fake news, which falsely identified the attacker as a Muslim immigrant, fueled widespread riots in several regions across the UK, leading to attacks on mosques, asylum centers, and immigrant homes. The violence that ensued led to the arrest of over 1,000 people by UK police, with at least 575 individuals charged so far.
FIA sources revealed that Farhan confessed during interrogation that he had published the story without realizing its potential impact. The investigation, led by FIA’s Additional Director of Cybercrime, Chaudhry Sarfaraz, continues to probe the extent of Farhan’s involvement and the origins of the misinformation that sparked the riots.
