A sessions court on Tuesday granted post-arrest bail to podcast host Rehan Tariq in a case registered by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and relevant provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code concerning allegations of raising sensitive and controversial sectarian issues in a video posted on social media.
Court grants post-arrest bail to podcast host Rehan Tariq
LAHORE, Jul 21 (APP): A sessions court on Tuesday granted post-arrest bail to podcast host Rehan Tariq in a case registered by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and relevant provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code concerning allegations of raising sensitive and controversial sectarian issues in a video posted on social media.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Nusrat Ali Siddiqui heard the bail petition, while Advocate Mian Dawood appeared on behalf of Rehan Tariq.
The defence counsel argued that the contents of the FIR did not establish the commission of any cognisable offence. He contended that conducting an interview involving historical and religious questions did not constitute a cognisable offence under any law of Pakistan. He further submitted that there was no evidence to establish that Rehan Tariq had uploaded the disputed video or interview on social media.
The counsel argued that all the provisions invoked in the FIR were bailable offences, making the accused entitled to bail as a legal and constitutional right.
The NCCIA SHO opposed the bail petition and requested the court to dismiss it. He contended that the podcaster had deliberately asked controversial questions in a manner that could provoke religious and sectarian discord.
After hearing detailed arguments from both sides, the court granted bail to Rehan Tariq against surety bonds of Rs100,000.
A few days earlier, a judicial magistrate had dismissed Rehan Tariq’s post-arrest bail petition in the case.
According to the FIR registered on June 25, the NCCIA booked Tariq under Section 11 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, and Sections 153-A, 295-A and 298 of the Pakistan Penal Code.
The FIR alleges that Tariq hosted a podcast featuring a religious scholar during which highly sensitive and controversial sectarian issues were discussed, allegedly triggering controversy among followers of different sects.
