ISLAMABAD – A judicial magistrate granted a two-day physical remand for senior journalist Waheed Murad on Wednesday, transferring him to the custody of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
Murad was arrested from his residence last night, where his mother-in-law was also staying. He was presented before Magistrate Abbas Shah’s court in Islamabad after being named in an FIA case related to spreading false information.
During the hearing, he addressed the court, stating, “My mother-in-law is a cancer patient who has come from Canada for treatment.” He also claimed, “I was handed over to the FIA just 20 minutes ago.”
His lawyer, Hadi Ali, demanded access to the FIR, alleging that Murad was mistreated. He further claimed, “Police forcibly entered his house and even mistreated his mother-in-law.”
Another defense lawyer, Imaan Mazari, informed the court that a petition had already been filed against his alleged illegal detention.
When questioned about the timing of Murad’s arrest, the FIA prosecutor confirmed that he was taken into custody the previous night.
The prosecution argued that Murad had shared content linked to a banned organization in Balochistan and that further investigation was needed regarding his social media activity. They also requested access to his mobile phone.
Mazari challenged the necessity of the journalist’s remand, questioning whether the FIA had issued a prior notice. Hadi Ali remarked, “Journalism is being criminalized in this country. Journalists are being arrested to intimidate them.”
Murad stated in court that he was detained at 3 a.m., blindfolded for hours, and had his blindfold removed only 20 minutes before appearing before the judge.
The FIA has charged him under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), citing sections 9 (glorification of an offense), 10 (cyber terrorism), 20 (malicious code), and 26.
