Pakistani YouTuber and podcast host Rehan Tariq was arrested over violation of blasphemy and electronic crimes laws following a controversial podcast on July 8. Upon the completion of his six-day physical remand by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), he has now been sent to jail in judicial remand.
A case was registered against Tariq on June 25 after he aired a podcast with a religious scholar and discussed sensitive and controversial sectarian issues. The FIR has been lodged under Section 11 (hate speech) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, Section 153-A (spreading hate or promoting enmity between different groups), Section 295-A (outraging religious feelings) and Section 298 (uttering words or making gestures with the deliberate intent to wound religious feelings) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
In May, the NCCIA arrested 11 social media activists in different cities of Punjab for allegedly spreading “anti-state propaganda and inciting unrest” among the public.
