Officials announced on Monday that a man accused of disseminating false information that contributed to the widespread unrest in the UK earlier this month has been found not guilty by a Pakistani judge.

Less than a week had passed since Farhan Asif was accused of cyberterrorism and detained during a search on his residence in Lahore, the provincial capital of eastern Punjab.

Following a Monday hearing, the 32-year-old self-employed web developer was granted freedom by the judge.

He told the judge he had deleted his post on social media six hours after realising it was not correct.

Federal investigators told the judge they had no evidence to prove he was guilty of intentionally spreading misinformation, defence lawyer Rana Rizwan told reporters.

The Federal Investigation Agency had accused Asif of spreading misinformation on YouTube and Facebook about the British teenage suspect in a stabbing attack in which three young girls were killed and 10 other people injured during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, north-west England, on July 29.