Advocate Mian Dawood, the counsel of Journalist Izhar ul Haq, says that he was taken into custody over charges of criticizing the state institutions and policies of the current PTI government.
LAHORE: (Urdu Point/Pakistan Point News-Jan 23rd, 2020) A Special Court on Cyber Crimes turned down bail petition moved by Journalist Izharul Haq over charges of criticizing state institutions and policies of the incumbent PTI government through his social media accounts here on Thursday.
Izhar ul Haq, reporter with urdu daily Khabrain, moved post-arrest bail petition before a Special Court on Cyber Crimes.
FIA prosecutor Munam Bashir Chaudhry argued that Izhar Ul Haq was involved in mockery of national anthem and targeted national institutions through his accounts on social media and website. He also targeted judiciary and executive. He argued that such acts amounted to offences of Cyber Crimes under section 11 and 20 of Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 along with section 505 PPC, saying that Haq was found read handed in it. The prosecutor said that the alleged material was also recovered from his Facebook account of the journalist.
However, Advocate Mian Dawood, the counsel of Journalist Izhar Ul Haq, said that his client was innocent and was professional journalist who served with different news organization. He said he was a law abiding citizen and was given the right to free speech by the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973. The counsel said that Haq was patriotic citizen and always worked for the improvement of the national institutions through his productive reporting-work. The counsel rejected the allegations leveled against him and termed his arrest and charges an attack on freedom of expression. He asked the court to grant him bail.
After hearing both sides, the Special Court on Cyber Crimes rejected the post-arrest bail petition of Izharul Haq.
