The District and Sessions Court in Islamabad granted bail to journalist Waheed Murad on Friday. He had been arrested in a case filed under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA). Murad was presented in court after completing a two-day physical remand.
Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials brought Murad before Judicial Magistrate Abbas Shah. After the hearing, the court decided to send Murad to jail on judicial remand. During the proceedings, the magistrate inquired about the material recovered by the FIA.
Murad’s lawyer, Imaan Mazari, explained that his client had only quoted a statement made by Akhtar Mengal in a social media post. Another lawyer, Hadi Ali Chatha, clarified that Murad’s initial tweet was based on Mengal’s words. The court granted Murad post-arrest bail against a surety bond of Rs50,000.
Earlier, a petition filed by Murad’s mother-in-law sought his recovery after his disappearance. The petition, filed through lawyers Mazari and Chatha, named senior officials as respondents. It also requested legal action against those responsible for his alleged abduction.