A district court in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, granted pre-arrest bail on Saturday, providing temporary protection from arrest to journalist Harmeet Singh. The ruling followed charges against Singh for his coverage of recent anti-government protests in the city.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)’s Cyber Crime Reporting Center filed criminal charges against Singh on December 6 under four sections of the country’s cybercrime law, the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).
The charges stem from Singh’s X posts covering the protests at D-Chowk, where demonstrators demanded the release of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), Singh’s social media coverage between November 24 and 27 allegedly spread false information about Pakistani state institutions and security forces during the protests. The FIA claims his reporting intended to incite violence and create discord between government institutions.
Harmeet’s response
"I only reported what I saw on November 26 and 27,” Singh said defending himself in a video statement to Pointon Friday.
He said he was never formally notified of the investigation and only learned about the charges after they were filed. Singh argued that such legal actions are meant to pressure journalists into only providing coverage friendly to the government.
Additional Sessions Judge Afzal Majoka directed Harmeet Singh to cooperate with the police investigation and to attend court hearings regularly until a final decision is made on his bail petition.
The court issued a notice to the state to present the case record on December 21 and ordered Singh to appear in court on the same day.
Bina Shahid, Singh’s lawyer, speaking to Point argued that her client had been named in a frivolous FIR. She pointed out that the FIR lacked specific evidence and timestamps of the alleged offenses.
"We trust the courts and are confident we will receive justice,” she added.
The PTI protest
Violent confrontations erupted in Islamabad on November 26 when Pakistan’s largest opposition party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) attempted to hold a demonstration near key government buildings in Islamabad, demanding the release of jailed party founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Police and paramilitary Rangers used riot control measures, including tear gas and rubber bullets, in a nighttime operation to clear the area of protesters.
The demonstrators had set up burning barricades and fought back using improvised weapons like sticks and slingshots. PTI officials claim security forces used live ammunition during the operation, resulting in at least 12 protester deaths.
Government authorities have strongly denied these allegations, insisting that security personnel were only equipped with non-lethal crowd control equipment.
As investigations continue, the FIA has indicated it will pursue cases against those accused of spreading what it calls misleading information about the events.
*Reporting by Ali Hamza
