A district and sessions court in Faisalabad on Thursday sentenced a PTI supporter to three years in prison for running a smear campaign against the Pakistan Army's leadership on Twitter.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) apprehended Sikandar Zaman last year after a complaint against him was lodged under sections 20 (Malicious code) and 24(c) (Legal recognition of offences committed in relation to information system) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016. It also invoked sections 500 (Punishment for defamation) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Zaman’s Twitter account was also seized by the police during the investigation.

According to the first information report (FIR), Zaman posted a tweet against the Pakistan Army “relating to the helicopter incident” last year with the intent to “spread panic."

Last year, six army officers embraced martyrdom after their chopper crashed in Balochistan’s Lasbela district.

In the wake of the crash, a social media campaign emerged, which was condemned by the military's media wing as “insensitive”.