In a dramatic turn that has gripped Pakistan’s political and media circles, Falak Javed—a vocal supporter of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and the sister of prominent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activist Sanam Javed—was detained in Islamabad on September 23, 2025. Her arrest, carried out under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), has become a lightning rod in the country’s intensifying debate over digital speech, political dissent, and the boundaries of state power.
According to reporting by multiple sources, including Dawn and The News International, Falak Javed was apprehended during a late-night raid at an upscale Islamabad apartment belonging to a top PTI lawyer. Authorities stated that she was wanted by Lahore police, with a team from Lahore conducting the arrest rather than the Islamabad police. The operation forms part of a broader, ongoing crackdown against political activists and journalists accused of spreading anti-state content online.
Police sources confirmed that Falak Javed faces accusations of using social media platforms to conduct “illegal activities,” including making false allegations against government officials and state institutions. As one police officer put it, “The arrest of the blogger is part of an ongoing crackdown against social media activists involved in uploading fake messages against the state and state institutions to damage them.” Authorities also emphasized that “the law is equal for everyone, and she will have to answer for her actions.” Following her arrest, Javed was reportedly moved to an undisclosed location for further questioning, and her exact whereabouts remain unknown as of this writing.
For Falak Javed’s family and supporters, however, the arrest is seen in a very different light. PTI, the party once led by Imran Khan, described her detention as an “abduction” carried out unlawfully by intelligence agencies and Islamabad police. Her sister, Sanam Javed, took to social media to denounce the incident, writing, “Today, Pakistani intelligence agencies, along with Islamabad police, abducted my sister, Falak Javed, a staunch supporter of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and a fearless voice for many in Pakistan; especially those who remain imprisoned, including Imran Khan himself.” She further insisted that Falak has effectively “gone missing” and warned, “Her life is in serious danger,” urging Pakistanis to raise their voices for her immediate release.
Journalist Hassan Ayub posted a photograph of Falak Javed in custody shortly after her arrest, fueling further speculation and concern. He later claimed that she had been using social media to run “illegal activities” and to spread “false allegations against government officials and state institutions.” According to Ayub, “Police investigation is ongoing so the facts can come to light. The law is equal for everyone and she will have to answer for her actions.” Despite these statements, authorities have yet to issue a formal statement detailing the charges against Javed or clarifying her current condition.
The legal instrument at the heart of this controversy, the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), was introduced in 2016 to address cybercrimes. However, rights groups such as Amnesty International have repeatedly warned that the law has evolved into a tool for stifling dissent. In January 2025, the National Assembly passed amendments to PECA that further tightened the government’s grip on Pakistan’s digital landscape. Amnesty International South Asia described the latest amendment as one that “will further tighten the government’s grip over Pakistan’s heavily controlled digital landscape, if passed by both houses of Parliament.”
These amendments have provoked widespread criticism from journalist unions, civil society groups, and human rights organizations. Many argue that the law is now “draconian” and is being weaponized against political opponents, activists, and reporters. In recent months, dozens of journalists—including Waheed Murad and Ahmad Noorani—as well as PTI supporters, have been booked under PECA. Human rights advocates point to a clear pattern: cybercrime legislation is increasingly being used to suppress voices critical of the government.
The political undertones of Falak Javed’s arrest are impossible to ignore. Her family’s ties to PTI and her outspoken support for Imran Khan, who remains in prison, have made her a symbol for those who see the crackdown as a targeted campaign against opposition forces. PTI officials argue that the state is systematically targeting its supporters, both in the streets and online, as part of a broader attempt to silence dissent and shore up the current government’s authority.
Meanwhile, government officials and their supporters maintain that the crackdown is necessary to combat the spread of disinformation and to protect state institutions from malicious attacks online. They argue that the law must be applied equally to all, regardless of political affiliation, and that those who violate the country’s cybercrime statutes must be held accountable. As one source close to the investigation put it, “A long list of anti-state actors has been compiled by the authorities concerned.”
The lack of transparency surrounding Falak Javed’s case has only added fuel to the fire. As of the evening of September 24, 2025, neither Islamabad police nor federal authorities had issued a detailed statement about her detention. PTI has demanded her immediate release, and rights groups continue to press for clarity on the charges against her and her current location. In response to her disappearance, a petition was filed in the Islamabad High Court on September 24, 2025, requesting that Javed be produced before the court and that details of the cases registered against her be provided.
The incident has cast a harsh spotlight on the growing tension between Pakistan’s ruling authorities and digital activists. For many observers, the state’s increasingly aggressive approach to regulating online spaces in the name of combating “disinformation” is eroding the country’s already fragile freedom of expression. As journalist Hassan Ayub remarked, “Police investigation is ongoing so the facts can come to light.” Yet, for now, the facts remain shrouded in uncertainty, and the fate of Falak Javed hangs in the balance.
As the legal and political drama unfolds, one thing is clear: the arrest of Falak Javed has become a flashpoint in Pakistan’s ongoing struggle over free speech, state power, and the future of its digital public square.