April 27, 2026
By Hafiz ullah Storai Sherani
ISLAMABAD
The District and Sessions’ Court of Islamabad has granted post-arrest bail to senior journalist Fakhar-ur-Rehman. The court ordered his release against a surety bond of 50,000 PKR in a case registered under the controversial Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).
The prosecution’s case was based on an FIR registered on April 20 by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), which included sections 20 and 26-A of the PECA Act. Fakhar-ur-Rehman was arrested on April 24 in connection with this case.
According to PFUJ President Afzal Butt, the prosecution in court attempted to link Fakhar-ur-Rehman’s social media activities to regional instability. It was even questioned why the journalist did not seek “verification” from the Ministry of Defense or DG ISPR before sharing a religious scholar’s statement online. According to him, during custody, Fakhar-ur-Rehman was questioned regarding his alleged connection to a social media account named “Islamabad Post,” which he categorically denied. Despite an organized online campaign aimed at labeling him “anti-state,” Fakhar-ur-Rehman maintained his professional dignity.
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has termed this arrest a malicious attempt at “arm-twisting” the media. Speaking exclusively to VoicePk, PFUJ President Afzal Butt expressed happiness over the court’s decision and said
“Following the court’s decision, paperwork is now being completed, and it is hoped that Fakhar-ur-Rehman’s release from Adiala Jail will be possible today. Today’s decision is proof that the case built against Fakhar was only to suppress the voice of journalism and journalists. Journalists have never been afraid of such cases nor will they be. We did not accept the PECA Act before, and we will not accept it now. Although it has been implemented now, we consider it against the freedom of expression and are continuing the struggle for its abolition.”
Senior journalist and analyst Nasir Zaidi, while speaking to Voicepk, also expressed deep concern over the situation.
“You can see that Fakhar is a seasoned, experienced journalist; he posted a tweet and immediately deleted it, but even his long journalistic services were not considered,” he said. “Currently, the country is going through the worst situation regarding journalism; such a situation was never seen in the last 47 years. Questions regarding freedom of expression have always existed, but today there are the harshest types of restrictions. Everything is controlled now; both Press Freedom and Freedom of Expression have ceased to exist.”
Nasir Zaidi further added that at the time of making the PECA Act, the government used to say it would not be used against journalists, but today it is being used most against journalists. According to him, restrictions have been placed on newspapers’ editorial policies and columns; articles are selected, meaning it is their will whose article will be published and whose will not. In the presence of such laws, journalism cannot exist; no journalist can do investigative reporting, nor can they write or work on a subject of their choice.
Iqbal Khattak, Executive Director of Freedom Network, criticized the government while speaking to Voicepk.
“Today’s court decision is drawing our attention to the fact that the government is building cases and making arrests without investigation and evidence, which is becoming a cause of disrepute for this government and the entire country. Pakistan’s name is being tarnished all over the world. This proves that the constitutional right to freedom of expression is being violated. If this government calls itself a democratic government, it must refrain from such actions.”
In court, Fakhar-ur-Rehman was defended by Barrister Ahad Khokhar, while a large number of journalists were also present in court for solidarity. The defense counsel successfully argued that Fakhar-ur-Rehman’s imprisonment was medically dangerous (as he is a diabetic patient and requires insulin) and legally unnecessary, because his mobile phone had already been taken into custody.