Raoof Hasan handed over to FIA on two-day physical remand

ISLAMABAD: A district and sessions court in Islamabad on Tuesday granted a two-day physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) Information Secretary Raoof Hasan to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in a case related to his alleged involvement in disseminating anti-state propaganda.

Presenting the PTI official before the court, the FIA prosecutor requested the court to grant physical remand of the suspect for recovering devices — allegedly used for anti-state propaganda.

A day earlier, Islamabad Police took Hasan into custody from the party's Central Secretariat for heading a digital media cell and its alleged involvement in running anti-Pakistan propaganda.

Commenting on the arrest, the police had maintained that the "PTI digital media centre had become a centre of international disinformation, from where anti-Pakistan propaganda is run throughout the world".

Although it was initially reported that party Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan was also arrested, the ICT later clarified that they had only arrested Hasan during the raid at PTI's Central Secretariat.

The police's raid drew a strong reaction from the former ruling party with Chairman Gohar condemning Hasan's arrest.

Flanked by National Assembly Opposition Leader Omar Ayub, and former NA speaker Asad Qaiser, the PTI chairman reassured that the party would fight for Hasan and would leave no resource untapped to secure his release at the earliest.

It is to be noted that the party's information secretary, in May, was left bloodied after being attacked by apparently four transgender persons in Islamabad.

The incident's CCTV footage showed Hasan being interrupted by an apparent transgender person while he was walking on the side of a road, subsequently, the attacker engaged in conversation with the PTI leader for a few seconds.

During the hearing today, the agency's prosecutor apprised the court that a 30-day physical remand can be granted in an FIA case.

He then urged the court to hand over the PTI official to the investigative agency on a 10-day physical remand.

However, Hasan's lawyer Latif Khosa opposed the prosecutor's request for physical remand.

Meanwhile, defence counsel Bokhari questioned the need for a 10-day remand when there was no evidence against the PTI official.

Stressing that Hasan had nothing to do with the social media [team], the lawyer inquired what investigation had the FIA carried out in the last 24 hours.

"Is it a crime to use a mobile phone?" Bokhari said while further asking if the suspect had posted anything on X.

The court then granted Hasan and other PTI workers' two-day physical remand to the FIA, whereas two female PTI workers have been sent to jail on a judicial remand for 14 days.

What's the case?

In its FIR, the FIA stated that while probing PTI activist Ahmad Waqas Janjua, the suspect revealed that he, along with the party's leadership and media cell members were involved in alleged anti- state propaganda.

The charges against the 12 suspects — two of whom are women — include the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act's sections 9 (glorification of an offence), 10 (cyber-terrorism), and 11 (hate speech).

The suspects are Waqas, PTI's top leader Hasan, Afaq Ahmed Alvi, Hameedullah, Rashid Mahmood, Zeeshan Farooq, Syed Osama, Mohammad Rizwan Afzal, Mohammad Rafiq, Syed Hamza, Farhat Khalid, and Iqra.

"...by employing various tactics on social media, [these people are] trying to hurt the integrity of Pakistan as well as sabotage the law and order situation," the FIR, filed on the complaint of CTD Inspector Sajid Ikram, read.

Ikram said that Janjua told his interrogators that the media cell members, with internal and external help, also damage the country's integrity on a daily basis.

To ensure their above mentioned targets, Janjua claimed that a media cell has been established at the Islamabad office, which is headed by Hasan.

The FIR mentions that media cell members take directions from Hasan every day to make the people go up against the state and the army in a bid to create a chaotic situation.

"Fake social media accounts have been created and every day, online campaigns are launched to create an atmosphere of mutiny," it said.

The FIR alleges that the media cell runs slanderous campaigns whenever a terror incident takes place; the campaigns are to create a narrative that lives are being lost due to the policies of the government and law enforcement agencies.