A Karachi judicial magistrate on Saturday granted bail to television anchorperson Iqrarul Hassan in a cybercrime case, his lawyer confirmed. East Judicial Magistrate Gulraiz Memon ordered his release against surety bonds of Rs200,000 after Hassan had been held in judicial custody.
Advocate Ahmad Masood said the challan — the formal charge sheet — has been submitted to the court, and Hassan's electronic devices remain in the possession of the authorities. Hassan was arrested by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), the federal body that investigates online offences, in a Karachi case alleging that he shared anti-state, false and defamatory material on his official social media accounts. He was booked under several sections of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), Pakistan's main cybercrime law.
What the court and NCCIA said
During Saturday's hearing, the NCCIA informed the court that no further investigation involving Hassan was required. The agency said it was still waiting for a forensic report on material already seized.
That stance marks a shift from earlier stages of the case, when investigators argued that key questions still depended on digital analysis. Hassan's lawyer also confirmed that devices taken from him remain with the agency while that work continues.
Earlier remand and bail setbacks
On October 22, the same magistrate rejected Hassan's first bail plea. The NCCIA's remand report at that hearing said the inquiry had moved forward but that important points still needed checking against forensic findings from his seized digital devices and records from other departments, including the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), which holds citizens' identity data. The local court found no merit in that bail application and dismissed it.
The defence then challenged the rejection in a sessions court. That court noted that the challan had been filed after the earlier dismissal and said counsel could seek bail again before the trial court — the route that led to Saturday's grant of bail.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- October 17: Hassan was produced before Judicial Magistrate Memon after an initial four-day physical remand. The NCCIA sought 10 more days of custody; the magistrate refused and allowed only two further days.
- October 19: The magistrate sent Hassan to prison on an eight-day judicial remand lasting until October 26.
- October 22: The magistrate rejected Hassan's bail plea; the defence took the matter to the sessions court, which later opened the way for a fresh bail request after the challan was submitted.
- Saturday (after the challan): Magistrate Memon granted bail on Rs200,000 surety. The NCCIA told the court it needs no further questioning of Hassan while it awaits the forensic report.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Iqrarul Hassan ko Karachi ke court ne do lakh rupay ki zamanat par riha kar diya hai. Unhen social media posts ke ilzaam mein cybercrime agency ne pakra tha. Ab charge sheet jama ho chuki hai aur agency kehti hai ke unse mazeed pooch gach zaroori nahi. Forensic report abhi pending hai, is liye case abhi band nahi hua.
