Karachi judicial magistrate extends physical remand of anchorperson Iqrarul Hassan by 2 days

In a move on Saturday, a Karachi judicial magistrate extended the physical remand of TV anchorperson Iqrarul Hassan by two days, instructing the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to produce him on October 19. Hassan had been arrested for allegedly spreading false, defamatory, and anti-state content on his official social media platforms, facing charges under sections 9, 10, 24, and 26-A of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca).

During his four-day physical detention, Barrister Mian Ali Ashfaq represented Hassan. The magistrate refused the NCCIA's request for an additional 10-day custody, extending his remand by two more days. The agency was also ordered to produce Hassan before the court on October 19. The magistrate dismissed a plea filed by Hassan's counsel, under Section 63 of the Code of Criminal Procedure Code, seeking his release from the case.

The magistrate noted that Hassan had not claimed any mistreatment during NCCIA's custody and confirmed that he had met with his family and legal counsel during the remand period. The NCCIA had requested a 10-day physical remand for Hassan, stating that the investigation into the case had progressed, but several crucial aspects required further examination.

The agency noted that digital devices containing data totaling 1,145.89 GB had been handed over to their forensic team for a detailed analysis to identify specific applications, user profiles, configured social media accounts, Gmail accounts, Apple IDs, stored files, communications with the alleged content, and other relevant information.

The NCCIA also provided links to the posts that reportedly aimed to "instigate and incite the general public against constitutional implementation," causing panic, disorder, and provincial unrest. They requested further custody to trace the origin, relation, financial connections, and any cross-border links associated with the posts.

The magistrate acknowledged that the investigation under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) 2016 required time for collecting digital footprints, technical data, and forensic evaluation, and discharging Hassan at this stage would hinder the ongoing investigation.