ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners (PCATP) issued a press release today to clarify and rectify the misinformation surrounding a news article published in a newspaper a few days ago.

The article wrongly implicated the Chairman of PCATP, Arif Changezi in an alleged hacking attempt during the online election. Certain individuals misinterpreted and manipulated the information from a preliminary letter submitted by the FIA to the IHC, distorting it to their advantage.

To set the record straight, during the PCATP election, hackers attempted to cast 232 votes in favor of a losing candidate for the Chairman position which was foiled by the IT Co. The hackers used ID and IP addresses traced back to Lahore, which were duly confirmed by the IT company to the election committee before the announcement of the results on March 7, 2023.

PCATP intends to take disciplinary action, as per the bylaws, against all those responsible for spreading misinformation and making baseless allegations against the Chairman, thereby bringing disrepute to the Council.

In a letter emailed to its members and uploaded on their website, the Chairman of PCATP has urged the members to reject these false accusations and not pay any attention to the malicious campaign initiated by the losing candidates and their allies.

The Chairman assures that the truth will be revealed in the court of law, as the case is currently pending for decision. PCATP firmly reserves the right to take disciplinary and legal action against any members found to be disseminating or promoting malicious content related to this sub-judice case, whether through print or social media channels.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023