On March 25, a Sessions Court in Karachi granted interim pre-arrest bail to journalist Nadir Khan, who was accused of disseminating false information through his news website. The case was lodged under various sections of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 and the Pakistan Penal Code by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA).
Khan was booked by the NCCIA Cyber Crime Reporting Centre Karachi for unauthorized access and dissemination of data, among other charges. The complaint was filed by Deputy Director Syed Ali Mardan of the FIA Anti-Corruption Circle.
The defence argued that Khan made significant efforts to verify the news before publication by contacting FIA officials, who did not respond. They contended that the FIR was filed hastily and maliciously to pressure Khan into retracting his published articles.
The Karachi Press Club (KPC) and the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists-Dastoor (PFUJ-D) both condemned the registration of the case.
