Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) is concerned by the arrest of journalist Khalid Jamil by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) on August 22 and welcomes his release following an order of the judicial magistrate rejecting physical remand and finding no incriminating material against Jamil.
Jamil’s arrest on the basis of a criminal complaint for a post he shared on X is concerning. The NCCIA must provide more clarity on how it takes action against media professionals from the registration of cases to arrests.
On August 22, news emerged that Jamil had been arrested by the NCCIA, the agency that replaced the Federal Investigation Agency Cyber Crime Wing. According to Express Tribune, the NCCIA had said that the journalist was arrested “following completion of official procedures,” adding that more details would be shared later.
A First Information Report (FIR) dated August 8 registered by the state through Anees ur Rehman was registered under Section 20 and Section 26 of the Pakistan Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act 2025. As per the FIR, Jamil was found sharing “highly intimidating content on social media X on May 7 at 6:13pm.”
Sharing Jamil’s post, the FIR stated that such content was “likely to cause fear, panic, unrest and disorder in the general public and society.” It stated that Jamil’s social media showed a “deliberate pattern of conduct involving mocking, ridiculing and maligning State institutions with the clear intent to instigate public discontent.”
Following Jamil’s arrest, the investigation officer in his case had requested physical remand for six days. A written order issued by Judicial Magistrate West in Islamabad Muhammad Mureed Abbas Khan stated that the remarks quoted in the FIR didn’t fall “within any ambit of propagation or derogation.” It noted that every citizen is guaranteed the right to free speech under the Constitution.
“There is no incriminating material against the above named accused person,” the order read, turning down the request for physical remand, discharging Jamil from the case and ordering his release. Footage shared on X showed Jamil’s handcuffs being removed following this.
The Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) condemned Jamil’s arrest and termed it state force and an attack on press freedom.
Jamil had also been arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in 2023 for allegedly knowingly misinterpreting and disseminating “anti-state narrative” in posts on social media.
