HUM News journalist Khurram Iqbal in custody under PECA: Azma Bukhari

LAHORE: Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari confirmed on Friday that HUM News producer and journalist Khurram Iqbal is not missing but is under custody under the PECA (Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act) for allegedly creating a “fake video.”

Bukhari questioned the journalistic merit of such acts, saying, “Making a fake video is not a journalistic value.”

In a tweet, Azma Bukhari disclosed the arrest of Khurram Iqbal hours after he was taken into custody.

Azma Bukhari alleged that checking Khurram’s social media timeline would show he is associated with a propaganda cell, implying he cannot be called a journalist.

Iqbals was taken into custody from his sister’s residence in Journalist Colony, Lahore, where a team of 10 to 15 individuals, including uniformed police, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials, and plainclothes personnel, forcibly took him into custody.

Witnesses said that he was not given time to gather belongings or change clothes.

The arrest has sparked strong condemnation from media bodies including the PFUJ, AEMEND, the National Press Club Islamabad and the Lahore Press Club.

Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) President Afzal Butt called the detention “illegal” and demanded Iqbal’s immediate release.

He urged Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar to take urgent notice of the incident.

Thee PFUJ leader emphasized that any action against journalists must respect due process and press freedoms.

Senior journalist Asma Shirazi tweeted: “The Punjab government is responsible for Khurram Iqbal’s disappearance. Even under past military regimes, this was never seen. Until yesterday, you were protesting against PECA alongside us, and today, you are taking a journalist into custody, placing yourself above the law. Azma Bukhari, Maryam Aurangzeb, and Maryam Nawaz, do not take the law into your own hands.”

The incident highlights growing safety concerns for journalists in Pakistan.

Journalists have increasingly faced intimidation and arbitrary detentions while performing their duties.

HUM News continues to follow this story and will provide updates on Iqbal’s status and any official statements from law enforcement agencies.