Case Update Status

On 25th June, 2021 Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Athar Minallah suspended the FIA’s notice issued to Bilal Ghauri.

Summary of Case

" On 25 June, 2021 M. Waseem Sikandar, a sub-inspector at the Federal Investigation Agency’s Cyber Crime Reporting Centre in Islamabad, issued a summons for Youtuber Bilal Ghauri to appear for questioning regarding alleged “defamation through social media via Youtube,” according to a copy of the summons, which CPJ reviewed, and the journalist, who spoke to CPJ in a phone interview.

The summons states that it was issued in response to a complaint by Syed Abbas Mohiuddin, a former member of the Provincial Assembly of Attock District, but does not describe the specific defamation allegations.

Ghauri, who publishes political commentary on his YouTube channel, which has about 90,000 subscribers and previously worked as a contributor to the Urdu-language newspaper The Daily Jang, told CPJ that he believed the complaint was likely issued in response to a video series he aired from 2019 to 2020 about Pakistan’s army chiefs.

“Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency needs to accept that critical coverage of key state institutions, including the army, is an essential aspect of democracy and press freedom,” said Steven Butler, CPJ’s Asia program coordinator. “Authorities should stop harassing Muhammad Bilal Ghauri, cease summoning him for questioning, and allow him and other journalists to report freely.”

Ghauri told CPJ that he previously received a summons on June 16 for questioning yesterday. In that summons, which CPJ reviewed, authorities did not specify the allegations against Ghauri or who made them. Ghauri said he sent his lawyer in his place, who told authorities that the journalist would only appear for questioning if authorities supplied more information about the allegations.

Ghauri told CPJ that he spoke to Sikandar over the phone on June 16, and said the officer described the YouTube series about Pakistan’s army chiefs as “problematic,” but refused to disclose further details regarding the complaint.

Ghauri said he plans to challenge today’s summons before the Islamabad High Court, and said if the court did not drop the order, then he would appear for questioning on June 25.

Ghauri told CPJ that he has been on indefinite leave from The Daily Jang since May 5, and said he believed that military personnel had pressured the newspaper into dropping his work. CPJ emailed the newspaper for comment but did not immediately receive any reply.

Previously, in 2019, individuals who identified themselves as members of the Inter-Services Intelligence Agency repeatedly called Ghauri and told him to stop talking about “sensitive issues” on his YouTube channel, and specifically cited his reporting on military chiefs, the journalist told CPJ.

Ghauri also said that three individuals who identified themselves as members of the intelligence agency visited his brother’s home in the village of Zarif Shaheed on July 31, 2019, and urged him to tell Ghauri to stop criticizing the army in Daily Jang and on YouTube.

On 25th June, 2021 Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Athar Minallah suspended the FIA’s notice issued to journalist Bilal Ghauri. The court summoned the director Cyber Crime Wing on June 30 in person.

The chief justice sought an explanation from the FIA for not implementing an order issued in November last year related to summoning the accused in cyber crime cases.

Justice Minallah had advised the FIA to summon a citizen after completing the homework and should explain the nature and details of the complaint in the call-up notice.

Imaan Zainab Mazari and Usman Warraich advocates represented Mr Ghauri.

Ms Mazari argued that the FIA was misusing Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca). She told the court that the FIA had summoned Mr Ghauri without informing him about any reason.

Justice Minallah remarked that prima facie the FIA is violating the directions issued by the IHC.

He clubbed all the identical petitions and adjourned the matter for June 30."

Category of Incident

Censorship

ICCS Status

ICCS Divisions: 0803-Acts related to freedom of expression or control of expression

ICCS Group: 08039-Other acts related to freedom of expression or control of expression

ICCS Class: N/A

ICCS Crime: Acts related to freedom of expression or control of expression

Reported By

CPJ

Date of incident

18

Month

June

Year

2021

Name of affected person

Muhammad Bilal Ghouri

Other affected persons

No other Person affected

Name of affected organization

No organization affected as He is a Youtuber

Other affected organizations

No other organization affected

Action by

Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)

City

Islamabad

Province

Capital Territory

Designation

Youtuber

Professional category

Journalist

Age of victim

34

Marital Status

Compensation Details

Amount of compensation announced by government: No compensation announced

Date of compensation announcement by government: No compensation announced

Date of compensation paid by government: No compensation announced

Amount of compensation announced by others: No compensation announced

Date of compensation announced by others: No compensation announced

Date compensation paid by others: No compensation announced

FIR Details

Was FIR registered ?: No

Court Details

Was case investigated ?: Under Investigation

Court where case was presented: Islamabad High Court

Name of prosecuting lawyer: Imaan Zainab Mazari and Usman Warraich

Date of first court hearing: 25/06/2021

Date of last court hearing: 25/06/2021

Status of court case: Court suspended the FIA’s notice

Journalist Union Status

PFUJ

N/A

APNS

CPNE

PBA

Media Source Status

Media reports:

Condemn Status

Colleague of victim

N/A

Employer organization

Press Club Status

Press club 1: N/A

Press club 2:

Press club 3: