The court orders him to appear before the competent court within one week to seek further legal relief.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, sister of Imran Khan founder Noreen Niazi. Photo: Express/file
The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday issued an interim order restraining the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) from arresting Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan’s sister Noreen Niazi, nominated in a case for “false, offensive and inflammatory content on social media aimed at defaming state institutions and spreading false narratives”.
In the interview, Noreen claimed that Marka-e-Haq was a collaboration between the Pakistani armed forces and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She further claimed that India had refrained from attacking Pakistan at Israel’s request because Pakistan was moving to recognize Israel.
A first information report (FIR) was registered a few days ago against the appellant under sections 20 (Outrage to the dignity of a natural person) and 26-A (Punishment for false and false information) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016, as well as sections 505 (Statements leading to public mischief) and 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), stating that Noreen made derogatory and inflammatory remarks against state institutions during a podcast and through subsequent clips shared on X.
During the court proceedings, Noreen’s legal counsel said in an application that the NCCIA had registered a case against her under the PECA Act and that she intended to approach the competent court for interim release on bail.
The defense lawyer expressed fear that the agency could arrest her before she goes to the appropriate court. The motion asked the court to grant protective bond to allow her to appear in trial court without the risk of arrest.
Accepting the plea, Justice Sardar Akbar Dogar granted Noreen one-week protection bail and restrained the NCCIA from arresting her during that period. The court also ordered him to appear before the competent court within a week to seek further legal relief.
Read: Imran Khan’s sister submits first response to NCCIA following controversial Marka-e-Haq remarks
Background of the case
The case arose after the NCCIA initiated proceedings against Noreen on July 18 following the broadcast of an interview that went viral on social media.
The agency said “the gist of the allegations” was that Noreen spread “false, offensive and inflammatory content on social media to defame state institutions and spread false narratives.”
The agency has summoned Noreen to appear before the NCCIA cybercrime reporting center in Islamabad on July 20 to record her statement as part of an investigation. The notice further warned that failure to comply with the subpoena could result in legal consequences under Section 174 (Failure to Appear in Obedience to an Order of a Public Servant) of the PPC.
Appearing before the NCCIA on July 20, Noreen’s lawyer Faisal Malik said she became aware of the notice through social media, after which her legal team submitted a preliminary written response to the agency. He also said the legal team asked the agency for four weeks to submit a detailed response to the notice.
Quoting his client, Malik said Noreen claimed that “as a Pakistani, she respects all institutions of the state” and “could never do anything that would bring disrepute to Pakistan.”
THE Marka-e-Haq Noreen’s controversial remarks had angered the public, government, political parties and PTI factions.
Learn more: “There will be no leniency”, warns Talal following Noreen Niazi’s comments
On July 19, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry accused Noreen of promoting anti-state discourse and said punitive measures would be initiated against her.
“It does not matter whether it is a man or a woman. The law will take its course and there will be no leniency for anyone who compromises the stability of Pakistan,” he said a day after legal proceedings were opened over his recent remarks.
Three days later, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan clarified that Imran Khan’s sister’s remarks reflected personal views and not the party’s official position.
