ISLAMABAD – Journalist and columnist Bilal Ghauri has been sent on 3-day physical remand in PECA case, after National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) sought 10 days from the court.
Ghauri was produced before Judicial Magistrate Malik Aman after his arrest in Islamabad. NCCIA told the court that it needed to recover his YouTube and X accounts as part of its investigation. But the hearing quickly turned into heated exchange over what Ghauri actually said in his vlog, and whether his comments were directed at former spymaster or at the performance of NACTA.
Asked about his remarks, Ghauri made his position clear. “I was not talking against the person. I was talking about NACTA,” he told the court. His lawyers also pushed back strongly against the allegations.
Lawyer Advocate Habib Hanzalah told the court that Ghauri’s vlog was uploaded on September 5, yet he was arrested without being served a notice. Defence lawyer Imran Shafique went a step further, arguing that there was nothing false in the vlog.
He challenged the NCCIA to identify exactly which statement constituted false information. “Let the NCCIA tell us where the false information is in Bilal Ghouri’s vlog,” he argued, questioning whether the authorities had objected to Ghauri’s comments about the possibility of further promotion rather than to any factual error.
The courtroom exchange became even more pointed when the magistrate questioned Ghauri about his remarks concerning the chain of command.
Ghauri created and promoted a “false narrative” about the appointment through his social media accounts and YouTube channel. The agency further alleged that the information was shared without verification and contrary to facts, claiming it could cause public unrest and weaken confidence in state institutions. NCCIA requested a 10-day physical remand, but the court granted only three days.
Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) has strongly condemned Ghauri’s arrest. The union described the action as an “attack on press freedom” and demanded his immediate release. RIUJ President Asif Bashir Chaudhry and other office-bearers questioned the speed with which the case was registered and Ghauri was arrested.
The union noted that the case was registered only hours after the vlog was uploaded and that Ghauri was taken into custody around midnight, shortly after the FIR was registered. RIUJ said the circumstances had raised serious concerns over legal procedure and freedom of the press.
