LAHORE: A judicial magistrate on Wednesday granted the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) a six-day physical remand of podcast host Rehan Tariq in a case registered under blasphemy and electronic crime laws.

The NCCIA registered a first information report (FIR) against YouTuber Tariq on June 25 after he conducted a podcast with a religious scholar and discussed highly sensitive and controversial sectarian issues, sparking controversy among followers of different sects.

The FIR was registered under Section 11 (hate speech) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, Section 153-A (spreading hate or promoting enmity between different groups), Section 295-A (outraging religious feelings) and Section 298 (uttering words or making gestures with the deliberate intent to wound religious feelings) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

During the hearing, the NCCIA produced Tariq before Judicial Magistrate Naeem Wattoo at the district courts.

The investigating officer informed the magistrate that the YouTuber had been arrested from Lahore Airport upon his arrival from abroad.

He requested the magistrate to grant physical remand of the YouTuber for further investigation.

Upon the investigating officer’s request, the magistrate granted a six-day physical remand of the suspect.

The magistrate directed the NCCIA to produce Tariq again upon expiry of the remand period.

In May, the NCCIA arrested 11 social media activists in different cities of Punjab for allegedly spreading “anti-state propaganda and inciting unrest” among the public.