A Karachi court on Saturday extended journalist Iqrarul Hassan’s physical remand by two days in a case of harming the state and national integrity by disseminating anti-state content.
The judicial magistrate (East) also rejected Hassan’s lawyers’ application and ordered the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to present a report at the next hearing.
Last week, the NCCIA produced Hassan before the judicial magistrate, who handed the journalist over to the NCCIA on a four-day physical remand. On Thursday, the District and Sessions Court East dismissed a petition challenging Hassan’s physical remand, with the defence counsel questioning the legality of the proceedings and arguing that the case concerned digital and cyber matters.
The case against Hassan, filed under Sections 9, 10, 20, 24, and 26-A of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, stated that the journalist, “through his personal social media accounts on the platforms X, Instagram and Facebook, is intentionally disseminating false, fabricated, anti-state and defamatory content with the object of instigating the general public against the state, its institutions and its functionaries.”
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The FIR stated that the content of Hassan’s social media posts portrayed the state, its institutions and its functionaries “in a false and distorted manner.”
It also noted that Hassan “represented lawful measures as controversial with the intent to instigate and incite the general public at large against the state and the lawfully constituted authorities.”
The FIR stated further, “The accused instigated a substantial following, including the general public, on the aforesaid platforms,” adding that the content that he posted was published and broadcast “in an open, publicly accessible manner, without restriction, so as to reach and influence the public at large throughout Pakistan and abroad.”
Hassan’s wife Farah Iqrar told The Express Tribune on October 12 that a group of unidentified individuals posing as officials of the NCCIA had allegedly taken him away from their residence in Lahore’s Defence C area.
According to Farah, between five and seven people, including women, arrived at the house late on Sunday night, during the intervening hours of Sunday and Monday, and demanded that Hassan come outside. She alleged that the individuals threatened to break down the door if he was not handed over. They subsequently entered the house, forcibly took the journalist from a room and took him away.
Later, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said that Punjab Police had not arrested Hassan, adding that investigations into the matter were underway and his family would be informed as soon as verified information about his whereabouts became available.
Hours before the reported incident, Hassan had posted a message on X criticising the Pakistan Peoples Party and referring to Nawaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari.
