The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) detained journalist Asad Ali Toor on Monday in relation to claims of a “malicious campaign” against the higher court following the Supreme Court’s ruling to strip PTI of its recognizable “bat” emblem prior to elections.
Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir, a human rights attorney and Toor’s attorney, confirmed his arrest to Dawn.com.
The journalist, according to her, had been to the FIA’s Cyber Crime Reporting Centre in Islamabad sooner in the day to “join the inquiry regarding the campaign against the judiciary, answer a summons notice handed to him on Saturday, and demonstrate his positive intent.”
The journalist was dragged inside the FIA premises without the presence of his legal team, she added, even though the team had obtained an injunction from the Islamabad High Court instructing the agency not to harass him before going to the FIA office.
At 9:05 p.m., Mazari-Hazir stated in an update on X that Toor had been taken into custody by the FIA.
Speaking with Dawn.com, she said that the journalist had been “formally arrested” when an FIA officer emerged from the premises, handed the legal team a handwritten memo from Toor, and said as much. The journalist gave his family a number of instructions in the letter that Dawn.com was able to view.
Mazari attributed his detention to the supreme court’s inability to “uphold fundamental rights.”
Mazari stated in a previous article that Toor had spent the last few hours being held at the FIA cell.
The way that journalists are handled in this nation is abhorrent. In order to prevent such blatant violations of fundamental rights, constitutional courts must fulfill their mandate, the speaker stated.
Toor was detained for about eight hours on Friday by FIA agents in relation to the same case, which preceded his detention.
Following his apprehension at 10:50 am, Toor and his legal team departed the FIA’s cybercrime wing headquarters at 7 pm, according to a social media post made by Toor’s attorney on X.
After the incident, Toor expressed gratitude to his legal team and supporters for their support and encouragement, stating that he was going through a “tough time.”
Despite the Attorney General of Pakistan’s assurance to the Supreme Court last month that the FIA wouldn’t take any action on the notices provided to media prior to the general election, the interrogation took place. The hearing in the case was postponed by the supreme court until the first week of March.
“Attack on freedom of the press”
Veteran journalist Hamid Mir criticized the detention, pointing out that the bureau had previously detained Toor without finding any evidence against him. “Under the new government, they will attempt to settle some old scores with fresh accusations this time,” he declared.
Digital rights campaigner Usama Khilji said, “The assault on freedom of the press in Pakistan remains strengthening as journalists are detained merely for coverage, asking critical questions, and speaking truths to power.”
The arrest, according to journalist Matiullah Jan, was “highly condemnable.” He described it as a “scary reminder to the journalist world that nothing really changes with the elections in a hybrid system of government.”
