The federal government has formed a five-member joint investigation team (JIT) to probe the culprits behind the ‘malicious’ social media campaign.

“The JIT was constituted in terms of Section 30 (warrant for search or seizure) of Peca,” said the notification issued on Friday.

Earlier this week, Aaj News reported that the federal government has decided to form a JIT to probe the PTI’s alleged anti-state propaganda. The decision came after a raid conducted on the PTI Secretariat, during which Raoof Hasan, the PTI secretary information, was “arrested and handed over to the Federal Investigation Agency”.

Islamabad Inspector General of Police Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi would convene the JIT with the other four members comprising the FIA’s cybercrime director, FIA’s Counter Terrorism Wing director, Islamabad deputy inspector general of police (investigation) and the Counter-Terrorism Department’s senior superintendent of police

“Any other co-opted member” could also be made part of the JIT, the notification stated.

According to the notification, the JIT shall “investigate and determine the organised objectives of the accused and their accomplices who have created chaos and disorder in Pakistan through malicious social media campaign”.

It would “identify and prosecute the culprits in accordance with the applicable laws” with the Islamabad police headquarters providing secretarial support to the JIT, the ministry notification said.

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Section 30 of Peca states that upon an authorised officer furnishing an application, a court may issue a warrant allowing an FIA officer “with such assistance as may be necessary, to enter the specified place and to search the premises and any information system, data, device or storage medium relevant to the offence […] access, seize or similarly secure” such items.

The development comes days after the Islamabad police raided PTI’s headquarters in Islamabad and arrested part’s Information Secretary Raoof Hasan. They also took away party documents and laptops with them, according to the PTI.

The FIA’s cybercrime wing booked Hasan and 11 others under Sections 9 (glorification of an offence), 10 (cyberterrorism) and 11 (electronic forgery) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 (Peca).