On July 29, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) issued a notice to journalist and vlogger Asad Ali Toor, requiring his presence at the agency’s Cybercrime Reporting Centre in Islamabad for an inquiry related to the alleged dissemination of false information.

Toor was required to appear before the NCCIA on July 31 at 11 am. The notice was issued under Section 26-A of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016. As per the notice, the complainant was listed as through the State.

Speaking to PPF, Toor said that the notice from the NCCIA was vague and did not specify the matter for which he had been summoned. Toor shared that he had no idea what the inquiry was related to.

On July 30, Toor challenged the notice in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking to have the NCCIA notice declared null and void.

The legal petition, filed through Advocate Attaullah Kundi, argued that the NCCIA failed to specify the allegations against Toor and did not follow due legal process. It requested the court to invalidate the notice and restrain the NCCIA from taking further action. The case was fixed for hearing before Justice Muhammad Azam Khan on July 31.

The National Press Club (NPC) condemned the notice issued to Toor and warned that legal action against journalists for carrying out their professional duties undermines democratic values. The NPC called for the notice to be withdrawn and urged authorities to respect journalists’ constitutional rights.