Pakistani man charged with cyber terrorism for disinformation that fuelled UK unrest

New Delhi, Aug21: Pakistan authorities have charged a man with cyber terrorism in connection with disinformation that allegedly sparked unrest in the UK, according to a BBC report.

The police identified the suspect as Farhan Asif, who was linked to a website that falsely named the suspect in the Southport attack and claimed he was an asylum seeker who had arrived in the UK on a small boat.

The article, published on the Channel3Now website shortly after the attack, was widely circulated on social media, contributing to the spread of viral misinformation.

The unrest began following the fatal stabbing attack that claimed the lives of three young girls, leading to violence in England and Northern Ireland.

On Tuesday, police in Lahore questioned Asif about the article. According to BBC, Asif admitted to writing the piece based on information he had copied from a UK-based social media account without verifying its accuracy quoting police.  Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency is further investigating the case.

The disinformation about the attacker emerged after the tragic incident on 29 July, when three young girls were killed during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.

The false narrative fuelled by far-right and anti-immigration sentiments led to widespread unrest that began in Southport and spread to various towns and cities across England and Northern Ireland.