Court denies the FIA’s plea for further five days physical remand of Raoof Hassan to continue investigation in the case.
ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-July 30th, 2024) A local court in the federal capital on Tuesday ordered a 14-day judicial remand for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Raoof Hasan and other suspects involved in an anti-state propaganda case.
District and Sessions Judge Shafiq Bhatti passed the order after the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) presented Hasan before his court.
The FIA had sought five days more physical remand of Raoof Hassan but the court rejected their plea.
Hasan, who was arrested last Monday, was initially placed on a two-day remand, followed by a three-day extension, and then another two-day remand for further investigation.
During the proceedings, the FIA’s prosecutor submitted that a technical report showed all the suspects, members of the PTI's media cell, were in communication with each other.
He asked the court for additional five-day remand to continue the investigation. However, defense counsel Ali Zafar opposed the extension, citing Hasan's deteriorating health and asked for a medical examination, which the court approved.
Hasan previously informed the court that the allegations against him were baseless.
The FIA has booked PTI's information secretary and several media cell members for their alleged involvement in a digital media cell accused of running anti-Pakistan propaganda.
The FIR, filed by the FIA, claims that PTI activist Ahmad Waqas Janjua revealed during questioning that he, along with the party's leadership and media cell members, were involved in anti-state activities.
The charges against the 12 suspects including two women, fall under sections 9 (glorification of an offence), 10 (cyber-terrorism), and 11 (hate speech) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca).
The suspects include Waqas, Hasan, Afaq Ahmed Alvi, Hameedullah, Rashid Mahmood, Zeeshan Farooq, Syed Osama, Mohammad Rizwan Afzal, Mohammad Rafiq, Syed Hamza, Farhat Khalid, and Iqra.
The FIR, filed on the complaint of CTD Inspector Sajid Ikram, alleged that the media cell members, using various tactics on social media, aimed to harm Pakistan's integrity and disrupt law and order.
