A local court on Wednesday approved a two-day physical remand of journalist Waheed Murad- who was allegedly abducted from his residence before being handed over to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
During the hearing, Murad told the court that police had broken into his house and forcibly took him away, adding that his mother-in-law was also assaulted during the raid.
“Just 20 minutes ago, I was handed over to the FIA,” he stated before the court.
Murad’s lawyer, Iman Mazari, revealed that he had filed a petition seeking protection from illegal detention. She questioned why a journalist was being subjected to physical remand.
“Journalism has become a crime in this country,” argued lawyer Hadi Ali Chattha.
The FIA informed the court that Murad was arrested last night for allegedly posting content related to the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Balochistan on social media.
Read also: PFUJ condemns ‘enforced disappearance’ of journalist Waheed Murad
They requested a 10-day remand to recover his mobile phone and investigate his X and Facebook accounts.
Judicial Magistrate Abbas Shah, after hearing arguments, reserved his verdict and later approved a two-day physical remand, directing the FIA to present Waheed Murad again after the completion of the remand period.
Petition filed in IHC
Meanwhile, Murad’s mother-in-law has filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), naming the Secretary Home, Secretary Defence, Inspector General Islamabad Police, and Station House Officer (SHO) Karachi Company Police Station as respondents.
According to the petition, individuals clad in black uniforms arrived at Murad’s residence at 2 am, accompanied by two police vehicles. The petitioner alleged that these men forcibly took the journalist away and misbehaved with her when she attempted to intervene.
She further stated that despite approaching the Karachi Company police station, no case was registered regarding the incident. The plea urged the court to order Murad’s immediate recovery and take action against those responsible for his alleged abduction.
