Another journalist arrested under Peca

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested journalist Waheed Murad in the early hours of Wednesday under Sections 9, 10, 20, and 26-A of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) 2016, officials familiar with the investigation said.

The agency obtained a two-day physical remand from the court to conduct further investigations.

Waheed Murad, a journalist who has worked with various print and electronic media organisations, was currently associated with an international media department. This marks the second FIR registered against a journalist under Peca.

An FIA officer handling the case stated that the accused was a social activist and active user of social media accounts on “X” Corp and Facebook.

The FIR alleges: “Following an inquiry, the Cyber Crime Reporting Centre in Islamabad found that the accused, Muhammad Waheed (Waheed Murad), a resident of Sector G-6/2, Islamabad, had shared highly intimidating content on social media platforms (Facebook and X Corp) on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at 7:33 PM and 10:21 AM through his accounts.” The FIR stated the accused incited hatred against institutions and top government personalities.

Waheed was arrested late night from his residence. Reports indicate that law enforcement forcibly entered his home by breaking down the door before taking him into custody. Murad claims that his mother-in-law was also subjected to violence before he was handed over to the FIA.

The case was heard by Judicial Magistrate Abbas Shah of the FIA. During the proceedings, the judge inquired about the timing of the arrest, to which FIA officials confirmed he was detained the previous night.

FIA officials stated that Murad is accused of posting content related to the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and other sensitive topics concerning Balochistan on social media. They argued that his X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook accounts, as well as his mobile phone, needed to be examined, prompting their request for a 10-day physical remand.

Waheed’s lawyers, Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha, vehemently opposed the FIA’s allegations. Mazari informed the court that a petition challenging his client’s “illegal detention” had already been filed.

Chattha urged the court to either discharge Murad immediately or place him under judicial remand if no crime had been committed. He asserted that journalists were being arrested merely as a form of harassment. Mazari questioned whether the FIA had issued any prior notice to Murad before his arrest.

After hearing both sides, the court approved a two-day physical remand of Waheed, handing him over to the FIA for further investigation. Further court proceedings are awaited.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and the Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) the arrest was extremely worrying and tantamount to curbing the Freedom of the Press.

In separate statements, PFUJ President Rana Muhammad Azeem, Secretary General Shakeel Ahmad, KUJ President Aijaz Ahmad and General Secretary Lubna Zarar Naqvi also condemned the threats issued by a political figure to journalist Ghulam Rasool Daras of Tando Allah Yar for publishing a news.

The journalist leaders demanded an impartial investigation into charges against Waheed Murad and his immediate release immediately.

They called for ging him full opportunity to clear himself according to the law. They made it clear that the arrest of working journalists under the controversial Peca law was not acceptable in any way.