KARACHI: A judicial magistrate court in Karachi has scheduled November 20 for framing charges against Pakistan Awaam Raaj Tehreek Chairman Iqrar-ul-Hassan in a case related to allegedly sharing anti-state content on social media.
Judicial Magistrate (East) heard the case on Friday, with Iqrar-ul-Hassan appearing before the court alongside his legal team.
During the proceedings, the court handed over copies of the case documents to the accused and instructed him to appear at the next hearing.
The court subsequently fixed November 20 for his indictment.
Earlier, the magistrate had accepted the interim challan submitted by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) as the final charge sheet.
The agency had registered a case against the television anchor over allegations of circulating anti-state material through his social media accounts. He is currently on bail.
Earlier this month, Judicial Magistrate (East) Gulraiz Memon granted post-arrest bail to Iqrar-ul-Hassan against a surety bond and personal bond of Rs200,000 each.
According to the NCCIA, the accused allegedly uploaded material criticising constitutional and administrative measures with the intention of creating public disaffection against state institutions.
However, the court noted that the prosecution’s case was largely based on electronic and documentary evidence already in the agency’s possession, with no apparent likelihood of the accused tampering with the evidence.
