KARACHI: A court on Saturday granted post-arrest bail to anchorperson Iqrarul Hassan in a case about alleged dissemination of anti-state content on social media.

The court observed that, as per the interim charge sheet, the prosecution has failed to prima facie point out specific material constituting essential ingredients of the relevant provision under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) and, without concrete evidence establishing the predicate act, the matter required further inquiry.

Judicial Magistrate (East) Gulraiz Memon granted bail to the applicant subject to furnishing a solvent surety of Rs200,000 and execution of a personal bond in the same amount.

The counsel for the petitioner, Ahmed Masood, Mirza Moiz Baig and others argued that the digital devices were already in the possession of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), an initial technical report had been submitted and the case rested entirely on documentary/electronic evidence.

There is no threat of evidence tampering as entire case relies on electronic documents, magistrate rules

The assistant director (legal) of NCCIA opposed the application and argued that the allegations against the applicant involved the dissemination of sensitive content affecting state institutions and public tranquility.

However, he also conceded that the initial technical report of the seized digital devices has already been prepared and placed on record and further acknowledged that all four prosecution witnesses cited in the interim charge-sheet were officials of the NCCIA, but the main forensic report was still awaited.

The magistrate in his order noted that initially, the bail plea of the applicant was dismissed by this court on Oct 22, and therefore, counsel for the applicant had approached the district & sessions judge for bail.

He also observed that the district court had disposed of the application with the observation that since an interim charge sheet had been filed before the magistrate, the applicant was at liberty to file a fresh post-arrest bail application on new grounds before the magistrate and hence, the present application has been preferred.

“A perusal of the interim challan reveals that the prosecution has failed to prima facie point out specific material constituting the essential ingredients of Section 9 to attract Section 10. Without concrete evidence establishing the predicate act, the applicability of Section 10 remains a matter of further inquiry”, the magistrate added.

He further stated that the applicant had remained in the custody of NCCIA on physical remand for six days, was sent to jail on Oct 19, the digital devices were seized on Oct 12 and an initial technical report has already been prepared while custodial interrogation was no longer required and keeping the applicant behind bars indefinitely awaiting the final digital forensic report served no investigative pur remand for six days, was sent to jail on Oct 19, the digital devices were seized on Oct 12 and an initial technical report has already been prepared while custodial interrogation was no longer required and keeping the applicant behind bars indefinitely awaiting the final digital forensic report served no investigative purpose.

The magistrate in his order said, “All four witnesses cited in the interim challan are official officers of the NCCIA. The impugned video was captured and preserved by the agency prior to the FIR.

Since the entire case relies on electronic/documentary evidence already secured by the prosecution, there is no threat of tampering. The applicant is a public figure, television anchor, permanent resident of Karachi, and has deep societal roots, ruling out any reasonable apprehension of absconding.”

The prosecution said that the applicant was arrested from Lahore and brought to Karachi as a case was lodged against him for allegedly uploading a defamatory video content on his social media accounts in which he had criticised certain constitutional/administrative measures and the content was designed to instigate the public, incite disaffection against the state and its institutions and glorify convicted individuals.

Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2026