NCCIA gets journalist Bilal Ghauri's 3-day physical remand in Peca case

Islamabad's judicial magistrate on Monday granted the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) a three-day physical remand of journalist Bilal Ghauri for a case registered under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca). The case, registered on September 6 on the state's behalf through NCCIA Technical Assistant Muhammad Umair Warsi, was under Sections 20 and 26-A of Peca.

The FIR alleged that Ghauri uploaded and disseminated content about the appointment of National Counter Terrorism Authority's head on September 5. After an inquiry, the FIR concluded that Ghauri intentionally created, uploaded, transmitted, and disseminated false narratives through social media platforms. These statements were found to be false, misleading, and presented without any lawful, factual, or independently verifiable basis.

Ghauri's lawyer, Advocate Imran Shafiq, opposed the NCCIA's request for a 10-day remand, claiming that his client was arrested without prior notice and that his vlog contained no false or fabricated statements. Ghauri also argued that his remarks were about Nacta and its performance, not an individual. After hearing both sides, the court denied the NCCIA's request for a 10-day remand and instead ordered Ghauri to be remanded in physical custody for three days for further investigation.