The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) apprehended journalist and video blogger Asad Ali Toor on Monday over accusations of orchestrating a campaign aimed at maligning the state and its officials through his social media platforms.
Toor had undergone over eight hours of questioning two days earlier on similar charges, as reported by his legal representatives.
Imaan Mazari-Hazir, Toor’s legal counsel, disclosed that her client appeared before a court in Islamabad today, Tuesday and was subsequently remanded into custody for five days. Despite the FIA’s request for a 10-day remand, the court limited it to five days, with plans to pursue bail for Toor once the period expires.
Toor has been vocal in his criticism of government agencies, Pakistan’s military establishment, and even the Supreme Court through his social media posts and videos in recent months.
While the FIA’s first information report (FIR) against Toor does not cite specific content, his legal team believes his critical views triggered the action.
Several rights organizations, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), have condemned Toor’s arrest and urged for his immediate release.
The arrest follows a series of events, including Toor being summoned by the FIA in January over an alleged campaign against Supreme Court judges and an attack on him at his home in 2021, allegedly by individuals affiliated with Pakistan’s intelligence agencies.
Toor’s arrest occurs amid mounting concerns over media freedoms in Pakistan, with journalists facing abductions, arrests, and restrictions on critical coverage.
Global media rights groups have highlighted Pakistan’s deteriorating press freedom, ranking it 150th out of 180 countries, while political analysts underscore the state’s use of broad laws to suppress independent voices, leaving social media as one of the few remaining spaces for relatively unrestricted expression.