A local court on Wednesday approved a two-day physical remand for journalist Waheed Murad, who was allegedly abducted from his residence and subsequently handed over to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
During the court hearing, Murad testified that police forcibly entered his home and took him away, further stating that his mother-in-law was also assaulted during the raid.
“Just 20 minutes ago, I was handed over to the FIA,” he told the court.
Iman Mazari, Murad’s lawyer, revealed that she had filed a petition seeking protection from unlawful detention. She questioned the justification for subjecting a journalist to physical remand.
“Journalism has become a crime in this country,” argued lawyer Hadi Ali Chattha.
The FIA informed the court that Murad was arrested the previous night for allegedly posting content related to the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Balochistan on social media.
They requested a 10-day remand to recover his mobile phone and investigate his X and Facebook accounts.
Judicial Magistrate Abbas Shah, after hearing the arguments, reserved his verdict and subsequently approved a two-day physical remand, instructing the FIA to present Waheed Murad again upon completion of the remand period.
Petition Filed in Islamabad High Court
Meanwhile, Murad’s mother-in-law has filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), naming the Secretary Home, Secretary Defence, Inspector General Islamabad Police, and Station House Officer (SHO) of the Karachi Company Police Station as respondents.
According to the petition, individuals dressed in black uniforms arrived at Murad’s residence at 2 AM, accompanied by two police vehicles. The petitioner alleged that these men forcibly removed the journalist and behaved improperly towards her when she attempted to intervene.
She further stated that despite approaching the Karachi Company police station, no case was registered regarding the incident. The petition urged the court to order Murad’s immediate recovery and take action against those responsible for his alleged abduction.
