NCCIA handed journalist Bilal Ghauri's custody for another 2 days in Peca case

Islamabad: A judicial magistrate extended journalist Bilal Ghauri's physical remand by two days on Thursday in a case registered by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). Ghauri was initially placed under police custody for three days on Monday, following a September 6 Peca case filed against him for spreading false information.

The accusation alleged that Ghauri had created and shared content about the appointment of National Counter Terrorism Authority’s (Nacta) head. On Thursday, Ghauri appeared before Judicial Magistrate Malik Aman following the completion of his three-day remand period. The NCCIA sought custody for an additional six days to continue their investigation.

Ghauri's attorney, Imran Shafiq, countered the request, pointing out that the NCCIA had already claimed necessary recoveries. He questioned the need for further remand and pointed out that the agency had already seized Ghauri's phone and laptop, as well as access to his social media accounts. Shafiq argued that the prosecution should first demonstrate how the statement attributed to Ghauri was incorrect.

The investigating officer acknowledged that Ghauri's social media accounts were protected by two-step verification, making it challenging for investigators to access them. After hearing both sides, the court decided to extend Ghauri's physical remand for two more days and instructed the NCCIA to produce him before the court again on September 12.

The case began with the filing of a First Information Report (FIR) by NCCIA Technical Assistant Muhammad Umair Warsi under Sections 20 and 26-A of the Peca Act. The FIR claimed that Ghauri allegedly uploaded and disseminated false content regarding the appointment of Nacta's national coordinator. The inquiry concluded that Ghauri had intentionally created, uploaded, transmitted, and disseminated false narratives through social media platforms, stating that the content was false, misleading, and presented without any factual basis.

Ghauri's lawyer argued that the vlog in which his client made the mentioned remarks was uploaded on September 5 and that he was arrested on the same night.