A Pakistani journalist named Muhammad Aslam Shah has been sent to prison on judicial remand after being arrested by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). The arrest was made in connection with a case filed under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) 2025. The case against Shah was initiated following a complaint by Tabish Raza Husnain, an official of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC), under Sections 20 and 24 of Peca.
The NCCIA brought Shah before a judicial magistrate on Wednesday, seeking custody for questioning for 14 days. However, due to the investigating officer’s failure to satisfy the court, Shah was remanded to prison. The complaint alleged that Shah engaged in “defamation propaganda” against the complainant and a senior official, Colonel Anjum, on social media platforms, using abusive language that caused distress and harm to their reputation.
In a related development, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) expressed concerns over targeted attacks on journalists and the misuse of Peca to file cases against media professionals in Pakistan. The IFJ highlighted issues such as censorship, harassment by state and non-state actors, layoffs, and non-payment of salaries faced by journalists in the country. The IFJ urged Pakistan’s top leadership to address these challenges promptly to avoid potential international intervention.
