A special court in Islamabad has granted bail to journalist Khalid Jamil, who was arrested last week on charges of spreading a “provocative narrative” against state institutions through his social media posts. Special Judge Central Shahrukh Arjumand approved Jamil’s bail plea against surety bonds worth Rs50,000. The journalist was subsequently released from Adiala Jail after the court issued the bail orders.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had filed an information report against Jamil, accusing him of sharing and propagating intimidating content on social media. The FIA claimed that he knowingly disseminated false and baseless information, which could incite the public to commit offenses against the state or state institutions.
The agency also alleged that Jamil promoted anti-state and hatred narratives against the state institutions through his social media accounts. They argued that his actions were intended to create a rift between the general public and state institutions, aiming to harm the state of Pakistan.
Jamil’s lawyer, Naveed Malik, argued in court that the allegations against his client were baseless. He highlighted Jamil’s prominent position in the media industry and emphasized that Article 19 of the Constitution protects the right to freedom of expression.
The lawyer also pointed out that the specific section of the law under which Jamil was detained had been declared unconstitutional by the Islamabad High Court. Therefore, any actions taken against him under that section should be considered null and void.
During the hearing, the prosecutor argued that Jamil’s tweets were contributing to a narrative that targeted institutions and could compromise the nation’s identity. He cited a previous case involving a senator who had allegedly targeted the former army chief in a tweet to illustrate the potential consequences of such actions.
The court has reserved its verdict after hearing the arguments from both sides.