ISLAMABAD: A local court in Islamabad today granted bail to senior journalist Fakhar Rehman in a case registered under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, ending his detention. The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency arrested him last week.
The decision came after authorities arrested Rehman from his residence in the capital during the night between April 24 and 25. Moreover, the agency had requested up to 30 days of physical remand, alleging that he and eight others spread false and misleading information against state institutions through the social media platform X.
According to the First Information Report dated April 20, investigators invoked Sections 20 and 26-A of the cybercrime law, accusing the group of inciting hatred and public unrest. Consequently, the case quickly drew attention within media circles due to the involvement of a prominent journalist and the nature of the allegations related to online content.
Defence arguments lead to a reduced bail amount
During the hearing before District Magistrate and Civil Judge Yasir Mahmood, defence counsel Barrister Ahad Khokhar argued that Rehman had already complied with a prior notice issued by investigators on April 14. Furthermore, the lawyer stated that the contested post involved the sharing of news content that had already been removed, while authorities had not clearly established his direct involvement in any unlawful activity. As a result, the court rejected the request for physical remand and instead placed the journalist on a 14-day judicial remand.
Later in the day, the court granted post-arrest bail against surety bonds initially set at Rs100,000. However, the judge reduced the amount to Rs50,000 following a plea from the defence. Fakhar Rehman is expected to secure release after completing legal formalities.
Meanwhile, journalist unions and human rights organizations have criticized the case, warning that frequent use of cybercrime laws could restrict press freedom and discourage open expression on digital platforms. Therefore, the development has renewed debate over balancing national security concerns with protection of media rights in Pakistan.
