Court orders release of v-logger Asad Toor

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad trial court on Saturday approving the bail of v-logger Asad Toor in a case about an online campaign against the judiciary has ordered his release.

Special Judge Central Humayun Dilawar heard Toor’s plea seeking post-arrest bail after he was detained by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) over charges of stoking a social media drive against the judiciary and other institutions.

The petitioner, Toor, was represented by Advocates Imaan Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chatha.

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The investigation officer of the case and FIA prosecutor Ashfaq Hussain Shah were also present in court with the relevant case records.

At the outset of the hearing, Advocate Chatha submitted the Supreme Court’s observation that journalists should not be booked over a social media campaign against superior judges.

At this, Judge Dilawar asked the investigation officer of the case and the FIA prosecutor if the Supreme Court’s observation being referred to was true. “Yes this observation is true,” the FIA official told the court.

The court granted Toor’s bail against surety bonds of Rs5,000. FIA Special Prosecutor Syed Ashfaq Hussain Shah did not oppose the petitioner’s bail plea. 

On February 23, Toor was detained by the FIA for eight hours after he appeared before the JIT in connection with the investigation despite not being served notice per the due process, his lawyer, Imaan Mazari said. 

According to the first information report (FIR) against Toor, the vlogger allegedly ran a malicious campaign against the judiciary on social media platform X and YouTube. 

It added that he had fueled anti-state activities through social media and he has been booked under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016.