Islamabad: A court in the federal capital has granted bail to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Information Secretary Raoof Hasan in an anti-state propaganda case. However, despite the bail approval, Hasan will not be released immediately.
Bail Decision and Conditions: Duty Magistrate Abbas Shah, who presides over the special court handling cases under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016, issued the bail verdict on Thursday. Hasan, along with nine other suspects, was granted bail against bonds worth Rs50,000 each.
Current Legal Status: Although the court approved Hasan’s bail, he remains in custody. An anti-terrorism court had previously handed him over to the counter-terrorism department for a two-day remand, which ends tomorrow.
Arrests and Charges: The PTI Information Secretary and nine other suspects were arrested on July 22 from the PTI office in Islamabad. They were initially detained by Islamabad Police and then transferred to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). The suspects are accused under several sections of the PECA Act, including glorification of an offense, cyber-terrorism, and hate speech.
Defense Argument: During the hearing, the defense counsel argued that the case against the suspects is based on the testimony of a single individual, Waqas Janjua. The counsel pointed out that three women had already been granted bail and questioned the prolonged detention of the remaining nine suspects, who are mainly low-level employees at the PTI Secretariat.
“These individuals work as watchmen, gardeners, and messengers. They have been behind bars for many days without substantial evidence against them,” the defense argued. The counsel emphasized that the state, according to the law and constitution, is represented by its people, suggesting that the charges lacked a solid foundation.
Case Background: The FIR, filed by FIA, alleges that PTI activist Ahmad Waqas Janjua revealed during interrogation that he and other party leaders and media cell members were involved in anti-state propaganda. The charges against the suspects include attempting to harm Pakistan’s integrity and incite chaos through social media.
According to the FIR, Janjua claimed that a media cell, directed by Hasan, was established at the PTI office in Islamabad. This cell allegedly orchestrated daily campaigns to undermine the state and the army, using fake social media accounts to spread dissent and create a narrative that government and law enforcement policies were responsible for terror incidents and loss of lives.