Islamabad, August 23, 2025: A judicial magistrate in Islamabad on Saturday ordered the release of journalist Khalid Jamil, a day after his arrest by the National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency (NCCIA), ruling that there was “no incriminating material” against him.
According to the first information report (FIR), Jamil had been accused of posting “highly intimidating content” on social media platform X on May 7, and of disseminating “fake, false, misleading and misinterpreted information” to incite public hatred against government functionaries and state institutions. The case was registered on August 8 under Section 20 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016, and Section 26A, which criminalises the spread of false or fake information.
On Saturday, investigation officer Muhammad Mureed Khan Abbas Khan produced Jamil before Judicial Magistrate Abbas Khan and sought a six-day physical remand, citing the need for further investigation and evidence collection.
The magistrate, however, rejected the request, noting in his order that the remarks cited in the FIR did not fall within the ambit of derogatory propaganda. “It is the prime liberty of every citizen regarding the freedom of speech which is also guaranteed by the Constitution of Pakistan,” the judge observed. “Therefore, request for physical remand of accused person is hereby turned down and accused namely Khalid Jamil is hereby discharged from the instant case.”
Confirming the decision, Jamil’s lawyer, human rights advocate Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir, said the case lacked any legal basis. “The constituent elements for either of the offences could not be seen from the FIR or the record. These sections simply were not made out — in fact, that specific tweet was mainly about historical facts,” she told media.
This is not the first time Jamil has faced charges under PECA. In 2023, he was arrested on allegations of spreading a “provocative narrative” against state institutions on social media, before being released on bail.
Since its enactment in 2016, PECA has faced widespread criticism as a “black law” used to stifle dissent. Journalists, political workers, and rights activists have frequently been targeted under its provisions.
Earlier this year, the National Assembly passed a controversial amendment to the law, despite a walkout by journalists and PTI lawmakers. In recent months, several journalists — including Farhan Mallick, founder of Raftar, and Waheed Murad of Urdu News — have also been arrested under PECA provisions, though both were later granted bail while legal proceedings continue.
