In a case involving an internet campaign against the judiciary, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday ordered the trial court to hear journalist Asad Ali Toor’s bail petition on March 16 (tomorrow).
The caretaker administration established a five-person joint investigative team (JIT) in January in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling stripping PTI of its famous election symbol, the bat, with the goal of “ascertaining facts behind a malicious social media campaign” against the court.
On February 23, Toor was questioned about the same subject for about eight hours by agents of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). Despite the Pakistani attorney general’s assurance to the supreme court last month that the FIA would not act on the notices provided to media prior to the general election, the interrogation had taken place.
The hearing in the case was postponed by the highest court until the first week of March.
On February 26, Toor was taken into custody by the FIA. The FIA was given a five-day physical remand of the journalist by an Islamabad district and sessions court the next day. The physical remand of Toor was prolonged for two days on March 6 by the same lower court.
The journalist was ultimately placed in jail on a 14-day judicial remand by the court on March 8.
Toor was charged under Sections 9, 10, and 24 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), which address the offenses of cyberterrorism, cyberstalking, and glorification of an offense, according to the FIR (first information report).
According to the FIR, Toor “constructed a false narrative” and openly initiated a “malicious/obnoxious and explicit campaign” directed towards “government officials, civil servants, and state institutions.”
The case was heard today by an IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq-led bench of one judge. In representation of the petitioner, Toor, was Advocate Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir.
The judgment, a copy of which can be found on Dawn.com, said that the trial court will hear the petitioner’s bail application on March 16, 2024, “keeping in view of the urgency expressed by the learned counsel.”
IHC CJ further ordered the FIA to provide before the trial court with the pertinent case record, per the ruling.
The trial court postponed the bail hearings submitted to it, according to the ruling, “without any justification or basis.” It further stated that with the help of the petitioner’s attorney, the case’s contents were carefully reviewed.
The judgment said, “The record demonstrates that the petitioner had moved the bail application before the trial court, where the matter has been postponed until March 18, 2024.”
