Anchorperson Iqrar ul Hassan was reported missing by his wife on Monday after she alleged in a video that he was picked up by unidentified men from his residence in Lahore. She also shared that the men confiscated his mobile phones, laptop, DVR and CCTV footage.
After almost 30 hours, the anchorperson, who is also the chief of the Awam Raj Tehreek, was presented in front of a judicial magistrate (East) in Karachi and remanded into the custody of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) for four days.
The FIR against him alleges that he has been arrested for “disseminating anti-state, false and defamatory content” on his official social media accounts. The case has been registered against him under sections 9 (whoever prepares or disseminates information, through any information system or device, with the intent to glorify an offence relating to terrorism), 10 (cyber terrorism), 24 (cyber stalking) and 26-A (dissemination of false or fake information).
Hassan was booked under sections 9, 10, 24 and 26-A of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca).
Punjab minister Azma Bokhari clarified On X that the Punjab police had not arrested Hassan and the matter was being investigated.
