Pakistani journalist remanded to federal agency over 'cybercrime violation'

A Pakistani journalist was placed in Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) custody for two days on Wednesday after a local court approved his physical remand, following allegations that he was "abducted" before his formal arrest.

Waheed Murad, who works for an international media organization, was presented in court at around 3 p.m. FIA prosecutors told the court that an FIR had been filed against him under sections 9, 10, 20, and 26-A of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016. They requested 10 days of physical remand, arguing that authorities needed access to his social media passwords.

The prosecution accused Murad of glorifying the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) through social media posts and resharing “a Fact Focus report that included family photos of Pakistan’s army chief”.

Claims of abduction

In court, Murad described what he said was a violent arrest at his home in Islamabad.

“I was at home with my mother-in-law, who is a cancer patient visiting from Canada, when masked men came to my house,” he said. “They claimed to be from a local police station, saying they were looking for illegal Afghan residents. I gave them my ID card, but they broke the doors, dragged me to their vehicles, and manhandled my elderly mother-in-law.”

Murad alleged that the unidentified men held him for hours before handing him over to FIA just 20 minutes before his court appearance.

His lawyers, advocates Iman Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha, argued that Murad’s arrest followed a familiar pattern of authorities detaining journalists extrajudicially and filing cases against them under PECA.

“When did FIA issue a notice to him? They didn’t follow their own procedures,” Chattha told the court. He questioned why authorities needed Murad’s social media passwords if they had already documented his posts.

Mazari added that forcing Murad to reveal his sources was a direct attack on press freedom. “Journalism has become a crime in this country,” she lamented.

‘Took my fingerprints on blank sheets’

Speaking informally to journalists in court, Murad said he was blindfolded when taken into custody and interrogated at an unknown location by a rotating group of 15 to 20 men.

“They asked me repeatedly who I was and what I did. They questioned me about my family, my sisters, and my mother,” he said. He added that authorities took his fingerprints on blank sheets of paper without explanation.

Murad also claimed that he was never taken to FIA’s Cyber Crime Center for questioning, as required. “They only brought me to its parking lot for 10 minutes before bringing me here,” he said.

His colleague Raja Soban also testified in court.

After hearing arguments, Senior Civil Judge Abbas Shah reserved his verdict. However, before he could announce the decision, plainclothes officials forcibly removed Murad from the courtroom, prompting resistance from his lawyers.

Chatha protested, saying the officials had no right to take Murad away before the ruling. “We haven’t even gotten his signature on the power of attorney,” he said.

Despite the confrontation, FIA officials took Murad away.

Later, Judge Shah issued his ruling, granting FIA two days of physical remand. “Since this is the first request for remand, it is granted for investigation and recovery,” the order read.

Murad is set to be produced in court again on March 28.

‘They dragged Waheed out’

Speaking to Nukta, Abida Nawaz recounted the moments leading up to the alleged abduction. She said that when the men knocked on the door and Murad asked who they were, they claimed to be police officers checking for Afghan nationals.

Murad responded that there were no Afghans in the house and offered to slide his national identity card under the door. However, the men threatened to break the door if it was not opened.

“They smashed both doors and dragged Waheed out of the house. They did not show any warrant, and there were 15 to 20 men in two vehicles,” she said.

Press freedom concerns

The incident comes just a week after the disappearance of two brothers of journalist Ahmad Noorani, Haider and Ali, who were taken from their residence in Islamabad in the early hours of March 19. Their whereabouts remain unknown, and police have not filed an FIR in that case either.

The growing pattern of forced disappearances of journalists and their families has sparked concern among press freedom advocates.

International rights organizations, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), have voiced alarm over the worsening press freedom environment in Pakistan.

CPJ and other advocacy groups have consistently urged the government to investigate these incidents, hold those responsible accountable, and take concrete steps to protect journalists from intimidation, harassment, and enforced disappearances.