A district court on Saturday approved the bail plea of Awam Raj Tehreek chief Iqrar-ul-Hassan in a case involving the alleged dissemination of anti-state content on social media.
The court directed the journalist and former television host to furnish surety bonds worth Rs200,000 for his release.
Earlier, on October 22, 2026, the Judicial Magistrate-East had rejected Hassan’s bail application.
On October 19, a judicial magistrate sent Hassan to judicial custody after turning down the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency’s (NCCIA) request for an extension of his physical remand.
The NCCIA had produced Hassan before the Judicial Magistrate-East and sought further physical remand in connection with allegations that he had posted anti-state material on social media. However, the court rejected the request and directed the agency to submit the challan within 14 days.
Earlier, it was reported that the Pakistan Awam Raj Tehreek chief was picked up from his residence late at night.
According to his family, a group of people entered the residence after breaking the front door and took Iqrar-ul-Hassan away, while also confiscating mobile phones, a laptop, DVR, and CCTV footage.
His wife, Farah Iqrar, claimed that she was asleep when the doorbell rang loudly and woke up to find a large number of people already inside the premises.
Hassan was arrested for disseminating anti-state, false, and defamatory content on his official social media accounts and was booked under sections 9, 10, 24, and 26-A of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act.
The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) is a federal law in Pakistan enacted in August 2016 to address cybercrime, regulate digital communications, and provide a legal framework for the investigation, prosecution, and trial of electronic offenses.
Under this act, using digital platforms to threaten national security or spread terror carries severe sentences of up to 14 years or more.
