Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) has arrested a man accused of spreading false information that may have contributed to recent disturbances in the UK, CNN reports.
In a statement shared with the broadcaster, the FIA reported that a user on X with the handle @Channel3Nownews had posted images and a video related to an incident in Southport, England. This user also shared an article on a website named www.channel3now.com, claiming that a 17-year-old had been arrested over a stabbing incident at a dance party in Southport on July 29, 2024.
The FIA’s statement said that the article falsely claimed a Muslim asylum seeker had been arrested in connection with the stabbing incident. They confirmed that the man arrested has not yet been formally charged.
Police in Lahore identified the man as Farhan Asif, who was questioned about the misleading article on Monday. During the interrogation, Asif allegedly admitted that he had written the story by copying information from a UK social media account without verifying its accuracy.
It is currently unclear whether Asif has legal representation. A police official informed the broadcaster that Asif was running a website primarily publishing stories from the United States, the UK, and Australia to attract online traffic and earn revenue through Google Ads. Asif reportedly claimed he could make around $1,000 a month from this activity.
After the recent riots in the UK, Asif stated that he deleted the controversial story and issued an immediate apology.
Following the questioning, the police official said that Asif’s case would be turned over to the FIA for further investigation.
The unrest in the UK, described as the worst in over a decade, was fueled by far-right, anti-immigrant violence. Protests erupted after a misinformation campaign that incited anger over a stabbing attack that tragically resulted in the deaths of three children in Southport.
