A judicial magistrate on November 1 discharged journalist Faraz Nizam, affiliated with web portal Urdu Point, from a case lodged by the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) cybercrime wing. The FIA detained Nizam on October 31  over a crime report they deemed “sensitive and offensive,” and sought remand.

According to The News, Nizam had recorded a video in 2023 interviewing two siblings who were accused of murder following an alleged incestuous relationship. The case against Nizam was based on a public interest petition by a lawyer. Nizam defended that his video adhered to ethical standards.

The agency presented Nizam before Judicial Magistrate Naeem Bakhsh to secure his remand. Nizam’s counsel, Advocate Zain Qureshi, argued that the FIA had not furnished the journalist with an official First Information Report (FIR) copy. According to Qureshi, this omission undermined the legitimacy of the case.

“The FIA’s refusal to share the FIR not only casts doubt on the charges but also raises questions about due process,” Qureshi asserted in court. He further argued that the specific sections of the law cited in the FIR did not apply to the journalistic content in question. “The video contained no elements justifying such charges, nor does it violate any law,” he added, urging the court to dismiss the case entirely.

Expressing displeasure, Magistrate Bakhsh noted a troubling pattern of procedural lapses within the FIA, particularly regarding FIR disclosures. “This is the sixth instance where the agency has withheld FIR copies from suspects,” he observed.

The court also questioned the FIA’s selective application of the charges, noting that police officers featured in Nizam’s footage were not implicated in the case. The agency’s counsel, unable to provide a clear explanation, faced further scrutiny from the magistrate, who expressed concerns about the selective targeting of journalists.

The magistrate discharged Nizam from the case.