A sessions court in Karachi’s District East on October 15 dismissed an application challenging and upheld a magistrate’s order granting the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) four-day physical remand of TV anchor and political leader Iqrarul Hassan in a case involving allegations of spreading anti-state content on social media.

District and Sessions Judge Arshad Murtaza dismissed a petition challenging the remand order, finding no significant legal defect in the magistrate’s decision. The defence argued that Hassan’s arrest and detention were unjustified and raised concerns over his right to freedom of expression.

Defence counsel Barrister Mian Ali Ashfaq told the court that Hassan had been taken from his residence in Lahore without a proper legal basis. He submitted transcripts of a video containing the remarks under investigation, arguing that Hassan’s comments about the political situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa fell within the bounds of free speech.

The investigating officer maintained that digital evidence had been recovered from Hassan’s devices and required further examination. The NCCIA prosecutor was absent during the hearing.

In his order, Judge Murtaza observed that the law applied equally to all citizens, rejecting the argument that Hassan’s position as a political commentator entitled him to special legal treatment.

Hassan’s wife also appeared before the court and pointed to alleged procedural discrepancies in the arrest, including the investigating officer’s absence.