A Karachi court has approved television personality Iqrarul Hassan’s bail in a case involving allegations of spreading anti-state content on social media, ordering his release against Rs200,000 surety bonds.
KARACHI: A Karachi court on Saturday granted bail to television personality Iqrarul Hassan in a case involving allegations of circulating anti-state content on social media, ordering his release against surety bonds of Rs200,000.
The case was registered over allegations that Hassan used his social media accounts to share content that could undermine the state and its institutions.
Hassan was initially handed over to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) on a four-day physical remand on Oct. 13. Two days later, the District and Sessions Court East rejected a defence petition challenging his remand.
His lawyers had questioned the legality of the proceedings, arguing that the allegations fell within the jurisdiction of digital and cybercrime matters.
The court subsequently extended Hassan’s physical remand by another two days on Oct. 16.
According to Advocate Ahmad Masood, the investigating agency had submitted a charge sheet against Hassan and seized his mobile devices as part of the investigation.
The NCCIA informed the court that it did not require further investigation involving Hassan. However, the forensic examination report of his seized devices was still awaited.
The first information report (FIR) accused Hassan of using his accounts on X, Instagram and Facebook to circulate allegedly fabricated and defamatory material against the state, its institutions and government officials.
According to the FIR, his posts allegedly portrayed state institutions and their actions in a misleading manner and attempted to provoke public resentment against legally constituted authorities.
The FIR also stated that Hassan had a substantial social media following and that his posts were publicly accessible, potentially allowing the alleged material to reach audiences both within Pakistan and abroad.
Meanwhile, Hassan’s wife, Farah Iqrar, had earlier raised concerns over the circumstances surrounding his detention, alleging that unidentified individuals claiming to be NCCIA officials forcibly took him from their residence in Lahore.
She said five to seven individuals, including women, arrived at their Defence C residence late on Sunday night and demanded that Hassan come outside.
According to her account, the individuals threatened to break down the door before entering the house and forcibly taking Hassan away from a room.
The allegations regarding the circumstances of his detention were made by his wife.
The court’s bail decision marks a development in the case, which involved allegations concerning Hassan’s social media activity and the investigation into the content published through his online accounts.
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