April 25, 2026
By Rehan Piracha
LAHORE
A citizen arrested for a social media post comparing a railway crossing in Islamabad’s suburb of Tarnol to the Strait of Hormuz has been released on bail by a local court, police officials told Voicepk.net on Saturday.
The citizen, identified as Khurram Nazeer, a resident of Dhok Paracha, was arrested over a social media post about traffic congestion caused by the closure of a railway gate during peak train hours at Tarnol. In his post, Nazeer had written, “Tarnol Railway Crossing is no less than the Strait of Hormuz. If it is closed, all our problems will be resolved.”
The reference to the Strait of Hormuz — a strategically vital waterway between Iran and Oman — is widely believed to be rooted in the heightened security environment in Islamabad, amid speculation that the federal capital may be hosting backchannel Iran-US negotiations to end the ongoing conflict. The unusual security clampdown in the city has triggered public frustration and satiric commentary on social media.
According to the First Information Report (FIR) lodged with Tarnol Police Station, Nazeer was arrested on April 21, the same day the case was registered. He was subsequently produced before a local magistrate, who remanded him to Adiala Jail on judicial remand. A police official told Voicepk on Saturday that Nazeer was released on bail the day after his arrest.
He was charged under three sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC): Section 188 (disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant), Section 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), and Section 511 (punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or a shorter term).
The arrest has drawn sharp condemnation from journalists and rights activists. Journalist and co-chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), Munizae Jahangir, said the state was making a mockery of itself by imprisoning a citizen over such a post. “He must be released immediately and the freedom of expression of citizens must be respected. It’s really absurd!” she wrote on her X account. Another anchorperson Asma Shirazi also expressed outrage, describing the arrest as “not only alarming but highly condemnable.”
Legal experts have pointed out the apparent incongruity of the charges. Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure — under which such orders are typically enforced — is generally invoked to prohibit pillion riding, gatherings of five or more persons, use of loudspeakers, or in health emergencies. Conviction under the section carries a maximum sentence of one month in prison and a fine of Rs600.
Notably, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Authority (NCCIA), the primary body responsible for investigating offences committed on social media, did not take any action against Nazeer — raising further questions about the basis and proportionality of the arrest.