A Karachi judicial magistrate (East) on Tuesday granted the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) four-day physical remand of television anchor Iqrarul Hassan in a case involving allegations of disseminating anti-state content.
Hassan’s family claimed that he was taken from his Lahore residence on Monday by a group of men, most of whom were in plain clothes. However, the Punjab government clarified that the police had not arrested him.
On Wednesday, Hassan’s defence counsel, Barrister Mian Ali Ashfaq, filed a petition before a district and sessions judge (East), challenging the magistrate’s order.
The petition has been scheduled for hearing on Thursday. Ashfaq said Hassan was also likely to be produced before the court.
The petition seeks Hassan’s discharge from the case or his transfer to judicial custody instead of continued physical remand. It also requests that the court grant him bail, with or without sureties, as deemed appropriate.
The defence has further urged the court to direct the investigating officer to complete the investigation through lawful means that do not require Hassan’s physical custody. These measures include forensic examination of devices already seized and formal requests to service providers for relevant information.
According to the NCCIA, Hassan was arrested over allegations that he disseminated anti-state, false and defamatory content through his official social media accounts.
He was booked under Sections 9, 10, 24 and 26A of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), dealing with the glorification of an offence, cyberterrorism, cyberstalking, and punishment for false and fake information, respectively.
Hassan has previously criticised government policies on social media.
Hassan’s family alleged that he was taken into custody in the early hours of Monday by men dressed in plain clothes, one of whom was wearing an identification tag bearing the NCCIA’s name.
In a video statement, his wife, Farah Iqrar, said she and her husband were at their residence in Lahore’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA) when the individuals allegedly broke open the main gate, entered the premises at around 3am and took him away.
She further alleged that the men manhandled her and confiscated two mobile phones belonging to Hassan, a laptop and her own mobile phone. According to her account, a masked woman among the raiding party was also wearing an NCCIA identification tag.
The allegations surrounding Hassan’s detention have drawn attention to the circumstances of his arrest and the legal basis for his continued physical remand.
In 2022, five Intelligence Bureau (IB) officials were suspended following allegations of mistreatment involving an ARY News team.
At the time, Hassan had accused the officials of subjecting him and members of his team to severe torture.
