ISLAMABAD: A local court on Monday granted post-arrest bail to senior journalist Fakharur Rehman after reserving its verdict earlier in the day upon completion of arguments from both the defence and prosecution in a case registered by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca).

Judicial Magistrate Abbas Shah presided over the proceedings, where Barrister Ahad Khokhar appeared on behalf of the accused journalist.

According to an NCCIA first information report (FIR) dated April 20, Fakharur Rehman is among nine individuals accused of allegedly spreading “false and misleading information against state institutions” through the social media platform X. The FIR was registered under Sections 20 (offences against the dignity of a natural person) and 26-A (dissemination of false and fake information) of Peca.

During the hearing, the defence counsel argued that the case was baseless and lacked substantive evidence. He informed the court that, as per the NCCIA report, the mobile phone of the accused had already been recovered. He further submitted that the journalist, being a senior citizen, required regular medication, which was being administered during custody.

Barrister Khokhar contended that his client had not expressed any personal opinion but had merely shared a statement attributed to a religious figure on social media.

He emphasised that even the FIR did not clearly specify the role of the accused. “This is a baseless case. The bail should be granted,” he pleaded.

On the other hand, the prosecution opposed the bail application, arguing that journalism carried significant responsibility and could not be used as a shield in sensitive matters. The prosecutor questioned whether the statement related to the top military leadership shared by the accused had been verified by official authorities such as the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) or the Ministry of Defence.

The prosecution further claimed that such social media activity could have serious consequences, alleging that similar content had contributed to unrest in Skardu following the assassination of the supreme leader of Iran.

It also referred to the broader regional context, stating that Pakistan’s relations with Iran were already delicate and that irresponsible dissemination of information could aggravate tensions.

“The accused’s bail application should be rejected,” the prosecutor urged.

After hearing arguments from both sides, the court reserved its verdict and later approved the post-arrest bail application, directing Fakharur Rehman to submit surety bonds worth Rs50,000.

The FIR further named journalist Sabir Shakir, anchorperson Moeed Pirzada, PTI’s Jibran Ilyas, Rizwan Ahmed Khan, Syed Haider Raza Mehdi, Adil Farooq Raja and Aqil Hussain as co-accused.

According to the complaint, the nominated individuals allegedly acted “with mala fide intention and ulterior motives” by disseminating fake, false, misleading and misinterpreted information.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2026