Pakistan cyber agency summons Imran Khan's sister over anti-army interview

Lahore,UPDATED: Jul 19, 2026 19:04 IST

Pakistan's anti-cybercrime agency has summoned Noreen Niazi, sister of former prime minister Imran Khan, accusing her of sharing “false, offensive and inflammatory” content on social media to defame state institutions and spread “fake narratives”. The notice was issued after an interview of Niazi was widely circulated online.

In the interview, Niazi said the May 2025 India-Pakistan military confrontation was the result of collusion between Pakistan's military leadership and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and claimed it was orchestrated to improve the image of the armed forces. She also questioned Pakistan's response to India during the four-day conflict last year that followed the Pahalgam terror attack.

The Cyber Crime Investigation Agency issued the summons on Saturday and asked Niazi to appear at its Islamabad office on Monday. “You have been found to have disseminated false, offensive and inflammatory social media content to defame state institutions and spread fake narratives,” the notice said.

In the interview, Niazi sought to belittle the response of the Pakistani armed forces to India. She also claimed, without providing evidence, that India did not escalate the conflict because Pakistan was moving towards recognising Israel and that the episode was aimed at helping Islamabad enter the Abraham Accords. Pakistan is among the countries that do not recognise Israel and does not have diplomatic relations with it. The Abraham Accords are a series of US-brokered agreements that established diplomatic, economic and security ties between Israel and several Arab countries, including the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.

“What do you think? ... India, which is a big country, was not in position to respond to Pakistan when it attacked on May 10?” Niazi said in the interview. “It could have but India deliberately refrained from giving a strong response because of some understanding.”

Niazi's remarks drew a strong reaction from Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. “Noreen Niazi's statement reflects the mindset of her brother Imran Khan. Khan's family has consistently appeared uncomfortable with Pakistan's achievements and that remarks made against the national interest are deeply regrettable,” Bokhari said on Saturday, adding that Niazi's remarks in support of PM Modi are “highly condemnable.”

The summons follows the circulation of Niazi's interview, in which she made allegations about the India-Pakistan confrontation, Pakistan's military leadership and Israel, prompting both official action by the cybercrime agency and political criticism from the Punjab government.

With PTI Inputs

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