Court grants bail to PTI social media activist Haider Saeed
Stay tuned with 24 News HD Android App
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad on Thursday granted post-arrest bail to PTI’s social media activist Haider Saeed against surety bonds of Rs5,000 each after the police failed to present the case’s record, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain asked about Saeed's role in the case.
His counsel Tabish Farooq told the court his client had been picked up under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) a month ago.
He added that some other persons, who had been arrested in connection with the same case, had already been granted bail by a high court.
Then addressing the prosecutor, the judge remarked, “The challan in the case has been presented in the court. But where is the case’s record?”
“Police should stop employing delaying tactics,” the judge said, adding he was justified in saying that the police’s failure to submit the record shows bad intention on its part. “This is sufficient to grant bail to the suspect. I will decide the case if the record is not submitted in 10 minutes,” Judge Zulqarnain said.
The judge was of the view that just like the state had reservations, similarly the masses, too, had reservations. “I know what to do in this case. Police deliberately use delaying tactics, and I know that.”
The Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Cyber Crime Circle in Islamabad had on March 17 arrested Saeed from Banigala area of Islamabad for launching a campaign against the state institutions on social media.
According to the FIA officials, he spread hate and derogatory content against the institutions in the aftermath of the Jaffar Express tragedy.
The officials said that Saeed was also involved in sharing posts in support of banned organisations.
The FIA confiscated his laptop and other digital devices and launched an investigation against him.
Reporter: Hashir Ahsan