ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has provided relief to journalist and vlogger Asad Toor during an ongoing cybercrime inquiry. The court directed the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) not to harass him during the investigation.
The agency issued a notice to Toor on July 29 over allegations involving the dissemination, transmission and public exhibition of false information. It asked him to appear before its Islamabad Cybercrime Reporting Centre on July 31.
Toor challenged the notice before the IHC. His petition argued that the agency had not met legal requirements while issuing the summons.
Court Questions Allegations Against Toor
The court had previously directed the NCCIA to provide details about the allegations. Toor’s lawyer maintained that the agency had not clearly identified the accusations.
Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro heard the petition on Thursday. During the hearing, Advocate Attaullah Kundi said Toor was willing to cooperate with investigators.
However, the lawyer said his client feared arrest during the process.
“We want to appear in the inquiry, but we do not want to be arrested,” the counsel told the court, adding that allegations of disseminating fake and false information had been levelled against the journalist.
Justice Soomro then asked which particular news report the agency had considered false. Kundi responded that the allegation concerned a report about the medical condition of the PTI founder.
Following the arguments, the court directed the NCCIA not to harass Toor during the inquiry. It also summoned the investigating officer in his personal capacity.
Press Freedom Concerns Raised
The National Press Club had previously criticised the NCCIA notice against Toor. The organisation expressed concerns about the situation surrounding press freedom.
“Subjecting journalists to legal pressure and retaliation for performing their professional duties or expressing critical opinions is not a good omen for any democratic society.”
Toor also faced arrest in February 2024 under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act. Authorities accused him of running a malicious campaign against state institutions.
He was released in March after the arrest drew criticism from media circles. The latest court order now allows the inquiry to continue without harassment, while further proceedings remain pending.
