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March 28, 2025
FIA Registers Case against Journalist Waheed Murad under Cybercrime LawIslamabad: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) registered a case against journalist Waheed Murad under a controversial cybercrime law on Wednesday, accusing him of sharing “misleading” information on social media causing “hatred” against government functionaries.
Murad was taken away from his residence in Islamabad by masked men early Wednesday morning, his family said, provoking an outcry from prominent members of the media community who called for his immediate recovery.
Murad works with Urdu News, a digital media outlet catering to Urdu-speaking audiences in Pakistan and abroad. He was produced before Judicial Magistrate Abbas Shah in the District and Sessions Court of Islamabad on Wednesday afternoon. The judge granted the FIA a two-day physical remand of the journalist.
“Accused Muhammad Waheed s/o Bara Khan is found sharing highly intimidating content/post on social media/Facebook and X Corp. on Wednesday, 12-03-2025 at 07:33 p.m. and 10:21 pm, in which the alleged profile has knowingly disseminated/propagated, fake, false, misleading and misinterpreted information leading to hatred against the government functionaries by stating therein that,” a copy of the complaint seen by Arab News said.
The complaint said that a case against the journalist has been registered under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) under sections 9, 10, 20 and 26-A.
The issue came to the fore when Murad’s wife, journalist Shinza Nawaz, wrote on social media platform X on Wednesday that masked men had taken Murad forcibly away.
“My mother was also at home,” she wrote. “They misbehaved with her as well — she was pushed. My mother is a heart patient. They took my mother’s phone, both of Waheed’s phones, and some documents.”
In a video clip circulated after the incident, Murad’s mother-in-law, Abida Nawaz, said the masked men who arrived at their residence identified themselves as police. -
Arab News
Courtesy Arab News
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