Journalist Bilal Ghauri Sent on 3-Day NCCIA Remand in PECA Case

ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad judicial magistrate on Monday granted the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency three days of physical custody of journalist Bilal Ghauri in a case registered under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act. The agency had sought a 10-day remand, but the court approved a shorter period after hearing arguments from investigators and the defence.

The case was registered on September 6 on behalf of the state through NCCIA Technical Assistant Muhammad Umair Warsi. The first information report invokes Section 20 of PECA, dealing with offences against the dignity of a natural person, and Section 26-A, which concerns the dissemination of allegedly false or fake information. The allegations have not yet been finally determined by a court.

According to the FIR, the investigation centres on material Ghauri allegedly published through social media on September 5 concerning the appointment of the National Counter Terrorism Authority's national coordinator. Investigators allege that the material contained claims about the process and circumstances surrounding the appointment that they considered false, misleading and unsupported by independently verifiable information.

Ghauri was produced before Judicial Magistrate Malik Aman on Monday, where the NCCIA requested 10 days of physical remand for further investigation. Defence lawyer Advocate Imran Shafiq opposed the request, arguing that Ghauri had been taken into custody without first receiving a notice and challenging the agency to identify the specific statements it considered false or fabricated.

The defence maintained that the journalist's September 5 vlog referred to information contained in an official notification and disputed the allegation that he had deliberately circulated misinformation. Ghauri also told the court that his remarks concerned Nacta as an institution and its performance rather than being directed against an individual. These claims form part of the defence position and remain subject to the ongoing investigation and judicial process.

After hearing both sides, the magistrate declined to grant the full 10-day custody period requested by investigators. Instead, Ghauri was handed over to the cybercrime agency for three days of physical remand. The order allows investigators a limited period to continue examining the allegations before he is expected to be brought back before the relevant court for further proceedings.

The case comes shortly after Major General Faisal Naseer was transferred from his position as director general of the Internal Wing of the Inter-Services Intelligence and appointed national coordinator of Nacta. The authority, established in 2009 and later given statutory backing through the Nacta Act of 2013, is intended to coordinate counterterrorism and counter-extremism policy among federal and provincial institutions.

Attention will now focus on what evidence investigators present during the remand period and whether the agency substantiates the allegations contained in the FIR. The defence is expected to continue contesting the misinformation claims, while the court will determine subsequent custody, bail or other legal matters according to the evidence and applicable provisions of PECA.