Vlogger sent on five-day physical remand

ISLAMABAD. The Judicial Magistrate, Islamabad Muhammad Shabbir has sent Vlogger Asad Toor on a five-day physical remand in a case related to the anti-judiciary campaign on social media. The court has directed FIA to produce the accused again on March 3, 2024.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) produced Asad Toor before Magistrate Mohammad Shabbir and sought his remand. The court allowed the Vlogger to meet his legal counsel for an hour. During the hearing, Toor told the magistrate, that he was a journalist and could not give his mobile phone. He said he had appeared before the FIA twice and his lawyer told him that he had received the notice in hand on February 24. The Vlogger said that they moved the high court against the call-up notice, and reached the FIA office with the high court’s order on February 26 to inquire about the FIR and the allegations levelled against him.

Meanwhile, in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), Toor’s mother told the media that she was not aware of the crime for which her son was arrested and added that she was filing a petition. Replying to a journalist’s question, she said “Asad told me that a notice has been issued for his appearance and that he was going there. The next day another notice was received. We did not even know that Asad was arrested. I still don’t understand my son’s crime behind his arrest”.

According to the FIR against Toor, the Vlogger allegedly ran a malicious campaign against the judiciary on social media platforms X and YouTube. It added that he had fueled anti-state activities through social media and he has been booked under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016.

It should be noted that a JIT was formed to probe the campaign against the government officials, after which the FIA issued a summon notice to Toor. On February 24, Toor and anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan were summoned by the FIA Cyber Wing on these charges. Both were asked to bring relevant records. later, anchorperson Imran, who remained a critic of judges recently, was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Establishment in a corruption case last week.