ISLAMABAD: On Sunday, a district and sessions court in Islamabad granted journalist Asad Toor a three-day remand to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in connection with his alleged involvement in a social media campaign against Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa. The FIA had requested a nine-day remand, which was contested by Toor’s counsels.
After hearing the arguments, Duty Magistrate Abbas Shah approved the FIA’s request and granted a three-day remand for the journalist. During the court proceedings, Toor asserted that he would neither surrender his mobile phone nor disclose his sources, emphasizing the importance of protecting journalistic sources. He informed the court that he had been on a hunger strike, and although provided with food, he had willingly abstained from eating.
A journalist presented in the courtroom persuaded Toor to end his hunger strike. The vlogger had been on a hunger strike since his detention by the FIA on February 27. Toor’s counsel had earlier reported that he had not eaten anything in the last 36 hours.
The FIR against Toor alleges that he conducted a malicious campaign against the judiciary on social media platforms, including YouTube. It further states that he fueled anti-state activities through social media, resulting in charges under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016. Toor had been placed on a five-day physical remand on February 27, with a directive to the FIA to produce him in court again on March 3, 2024.
