Pakistan: Islamabad court grants bail to journalist Khalid Jamil

Special Judge Central Shahrukh Arjumand granted bail to Khalid Jamil against a surety bond of Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 50,000.

A local court in Islamabad on Thursday granted bail to journalist Khalid Jamil in a case related to spreading a "provocative narrative against the state institutions through social media platforms," Pakistan-based ARY News reported. Special Judge Central Shahrukh Arjumand granted bail to Khalid Jamil against a surety bond of Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 50,000. Khalid Jamil, the bureau chief of a private news channel, was arrested from his residence in Islamabad, ARY News reported.

On Sunday, A local court in Islamabad sent journalist Muhammad Khalid Jamil on a 14-day judicial remand in a case related to spreading a "provocative narrative against the state institutions through social media platforms," according to ARY News report. However, the journalist challenged his arrest. On Friday, an Islamabad district and sessions court remanded journalist Muhammad Khalid Jamil in the custody of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for two days, Pakistan-based Dawn reported.

According to FIA, Khalid Jamil was detained on charges of spreading a "provocative narrative" against state institutions through his posts on social media, Dawn reported. The first information report lodged by the agency said the accused was "found sharing and propagating highly intimidating content/tweets on social media/Twitter" (now X), Dawn reported.

The FIR invoked Section 20 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), which states: "Whoever intentionally and publicly exhibits or displays or transmits any information through any information system, which he knows to be false, and intimidates or harms the reputation or privacy of a natural person, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or with fine which may extend to one million rupees or with both," Dawn reported. In addition, the FIR included Section 505 (statement conducing to public mischief) of the Pakistan Penal Code. The FIR said, "The accused had knowingly misinterpreted and disseminated anti-state narrative by sharing false misleading and baseless information which are also likely to cause fear in the public and may incite anyone to commit an offence against the state or the state institution or public tranquillity."

The agency further said that the "accused persons including Muhammad Khalid Jamil propagated, promoted and glorified anti-state, provocative and hatred narrative against the state institutions," Dawn reported. The FIA did not reveal details regarding other individuals involved in the alleged crime, the report said. The agency called such intimidating content of blaming and naming through social media accounts a mischievous act of subversion to create a rift between the general public and state institutions to "harm the state of Pakistan".

It further said that the accused through such intimidating content including videos "attempted to provoke the general public against the state institutions including judiciary, by trying to create a feeling of ill-will among pillars of the state," Dawn reported. The journalist community had condemned the arrest of Khalid Jamil. (ANI)

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