LHC grants post-arrest bail to journalist and anchorperson Rehan Tariq

Additional Sessions Judge Nusrat Ali Siddiqui announced the decision after hearing detailed arguments from both the defence and the prosecution

A sessions court in Lahore on Tuesday granted post-arrest bail to journalist and anchorperson Rehan Tariq in a case registered by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA).

Additional Sessions Judge Nusrat Ali Siddiqui announced the decision after hearing detailed arguments from both the defence and the prosecution. The court ordered Rehan Tariq’s release against surety bonds of Rs100,000.

Appearing on behalf of the accused, Advocate Mian Daud argued that the contents of the FIR did not disclose the commission of any cognizable offence. He submitted that no law in Pakistan criminalises conducting an interview containing historical or religious questions and maintained that no electronic device belonging to the journalist had been used in the alleged offence.

The defence further argued that investigators had failed to produce any evidence showing that Rehan Tariq had uploaded the disputed video or interview. Counsel contended that all offences invoked in the FIR were bailable under the Code of Criminal Procedure, making the grant of bail a constitutional right of the accused.

Advocate Daud also alleged that the NCCIA had relied on fabricated evidence to implicate the journalist. He claimed that investigators copied details, including the mobile phone number, from Rehan Tariq’s genuine Facebook account and falsely linked them to a fake Facebook account titled “Rehan Tariq Official.” According to the defence, no such Facebook page actually existed, yet it was attributed to the journalist to build the prosecution’s case.

The defence criticised the investigating agency, stating that law enforcement institutions were expected to collect authentic evidence rather than fabricate material to support criminal proceedings. Counsel further questioned the agency’s conduct by pointing out that religious scholar Javad Naqvi, who appeared in the interview, had not been nominated as an accused despite the disputed interview remaining available on his official YouTube channel.

Supporting his arguments, Advocate Daud cited 17 judgments of the Supreme Court and High Courts, submitting that superior courts had consistently granted bail in religious controversy cases while relying on scholarly opinions. He argued that whether the conversation between the journalist and his guest amounted to blasphemy or religious disrespect was a matter to be determined during trial, and until then the accused was entitled to bail.

The defence also contended that, under Section 196 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, prosecution in offences relating to religious controversies requires prior government sanction, and in the absence of such approval, the accused should be granted bail.

Opposing the application, NCCIA SHO Najam Bajwa urged the court to reject the plea. During the hearing, he acknowledged that religious scholar Javad Naqvi had not been nominated as an accused but maintained that Rehan Tariq had deliberately asked controversial questions in a manner that could potentially incite religious and sectarian discord. He argued that these circumstances justified the continued detention of the journalist.

After hearing detailed submissions from both sides, the court allowed Rehan Tariq’s post-arrest bail application and ordered his release against surety bonds of Rs100,000.