KARACHI: A judicial magistrate in Karachi on Thursday rejected the bail plea of television anchorperson Iqrarul Hassan in a cybercrime case registered by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA).
The Judicial Magistrate (East) dismissed the post-arrest bail application filed under Section 497 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Hassan will remain in judicial custody while the case proceeds.
Iqrarul Hassan bail rejected: what the court decided
According to the court order, a copy of which is available with Dawn, the application was filed on behalf of “Syed Iqrar Ul Hassan, son of Syed Muhammad Ismail,” arrested in connection with FIR No. 101/2026 registered at the NCCIA’s Cyber Crime Reporting Centre in Karachi.
The case is registered under Sections 9, 10, 20, 24 and 26-A of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), 2016, as amended in 2025. These sections cover glorification of an offence, cyberterrorism, offences against the dignity of a person, cyberstalking and the dissemination of false or fake information.
The NCCIA had alleged that Hassan disseminated anti-state, false and defamatory content through his official social media accounts. The agency claimed the content was intended to incite the public and could cause panic, disorder and unrest.
Defence to approach Sindh High Court
Speaking to reporters outside the court, Hassan’s counsel Barrister Mian Ali Ashfaq said the defence would approach the Sindh High Court to challenge the order once the detailed judgment is available.
The defence has maintained that Hassan’s social media commentary concerned political developments and matters of public interest, and that he did not cross constitutional boundaries.
How the case unfolded
Hassan was arrested last week. His family claimed he was picked up from his residence in Lahore’s Defence Housing Authority in the early hours of Monday by men in plainclothes, one wearing an NCCIA identification tag.
On October 17, he was produced before Judicial Magistrate (East) Gulraiz Memon after four days of physical remand. The NCCIA sought ten more days of custody but was granted only two. His counsel’s discharge plea under Section 63 of the CrPC was also dismissed at the time, as reported in our earlier coverage of the extended remand.
On October 19, the magistrate rejected the agency’s request for a further eight days of physical remand, observing that the NCCIA had been given “sufficient time of physical custody” and that “no cogent reason” had been given for an extension. Hassan was then sent to jail on judicial remand till October 26, and the court directed the NCCIA to submit its challan within 14 days.
In its remand report, the agency said digital devices containing 1,145.89 gigabytes of data had been handed to its forensic team for analysis of applications, social media accounts, emails, stored files and communications linked to the alleged posts. It also sought to trace the “origin, relation, financial correlation and cross-border linkages (if any)” of the content.
The case is part of a wider NCCIA enforcement drive. The agency recently reported 1,129 arrests in a one-month cybercrime sweep, with Rs105.3 million returned to victims.
Why this case matters
The case has drawn wide attention because of Hassan’s public profile as a television anchorperson and, more recently, as chief of the Awam Raj Tehreek. It has also renewed debate over the application of Pakistan’s cybercrime law to online political commentary, a question that surfaced earlier when his custody plea was first challenged.
The allegations against Hassan remain unproven, and the rejection of bail does not amount to a finding of guilt. The case will now move to the Sindh High Court if the defence files its challenge, while the NCCIA continues its forensic examination of the seized devices.
Frequently asked questions
Why was Iqrarul Hassan’s bail rejected?
A Karachi judicial magistrate dismissed his post-arrest bail plea under Section 497 of the CrPC in the NCCIA’s cybercrime case. Detailed reasons will be available in the written order.
What are the charges against Iqrarul Hassan?
FIR No. 101/2026 under Peca sections 9, 10, 20, 24 and 26-A, relating to alleged anti-state, false and defamatory content shared on social media.
What happens next in the case?
His lawyer plans to challenge the bail rejection before the Sindh High Court once the detailed judgment is issued. Hassan remains in judicial custody till October 26.
When was Iqrarul Hassan arrested?
He was arrested last week and sent to jail on judicial remand on October 19, after the court refused the NCCIA any further physical custody.
