Journalist Waheed Murad Arrested Under PECA Law, Sent to FIA Custody for Two Days

Islamabad-based journalist Waheed Murad was presented before the court on Wednesday following his arrest under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). The court granted FIA a two-day physical remand instead of the requested ten days.

Judicial Magistrate Abbas Shah presided over the hearing of the case filed under PECA against Murad. During the proceedings, Waheed Murad informed the court that his mother-in-law, a cancer patient visiting from Canada for treatment, was also mistreated during his arrest.

He claimed that the Police broke into his house late at night, assaulted his mother-in-law, and handed him over to the FIA just 20 minutes before the hearing.

Murad’s lawyer, Imaan Mazari, argued in court that her client was unlawfully detained and filed a petition against it. The judge questioned FIA about the timing of the arrest, to which the prosecution responded that Murad was apprehended the previous night under PECA charges.

The FIA prosecutor further alleged that Murad spread hatred and incitement against state institutions and had shared journalist Ahmad Noorani’s report concerning the Army Chief’s family. The court was also informed that Murad had posted content about the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and other related issues on social media. FIA sought access to his X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook accounts and the recovery of his mobile phone for further investigation.

Mazari questioned why FIA had not issued a prior notice before arresting Murad, while another lawyer, Hadi Chattha, stated that journalism had become a crime in the country. He argued that if no offense was committed, the court had the authority to discharge the case or grant judicial custody.

Despite FIA’s request for a ten-day remand, the court approved a two-day physical remand, placing Murad under FIA’s custody for further investigation.