LAHORE – Some relief for journalist and podcaster Rehan Tariq in a high-profile case registered under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws and the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) as Lahore sessions court granted post-arrest bail on Tuesday.
The ruling came weeks after the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) arrested Tariq at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport upon his arrival from abroad over a podcast that allegedly discussed sensitive sectarian issues.
Judge Nusrat Ali Siddiqi approved bail application after hearing detailed arguments from both the defence and prosecution, directing the petitioner’s release against surety bonds of Rs1Lac.
During the proceedings, defence counsel Advocate Mian Dawood argued that investigators had failed to produce any evidence directly linking Tariq to the social media content cited in the FIR. The lawyer maintained that interviewing guests and raising questions on religious or historical issues is a constitutionally protected journalistic activity. He further contended that the FIR itself did not identify which specific questions were considered objectionable.
The defence also presented opinions from prominent religious scholars, claiming the discussion did not amount to disrespecting any revered Islamic personality. Counsel further argued that the prosecution had allegedly failed to comply with the requirements of Section 196 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), making the accused entitled to bail.
According to the defence, the offences fall within the non-prohibitory clause, the investigation has already been completed, no further recovery is required, and the matter warrants further judicial scrutiny.
Opposing the bail plea, NCCIA SHO Najam Bajwa argued that Tariq deliberately asked controversial questions capable of provoking religious and sectarian tensions. However, during the hearing, the investigating officer acknowledged that the religious scholar who appeared as a guest in the podcast had not been named as an accused in the FIR.
The case registered on June 25, alleges that Rehan Tariq hosted a podcast featuring a religious scholar in which highly sensitive sectarian issues were discussed, allegedly triggering controversy among followers of different religious schools of thought.
NCCIA booked the podcast host under Section 11 of PECA relating to hate speech, along with Sections 153-A, 295-A and 298 of the Pakistan Penal Code, covering allegations of promoting enmity between groups, outraging religious sentiments and deliberately hurting religious feelings.
Podcaster Rehan Tariq sent to jail on Judicial Remand in Blasphemy Case
