IHC tells NCCIA to provide journalist with details

ISLAMABAD
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday directed the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to provide vlogger and journalist Asad Toor with details of the allegations against him in connection with a summons issued by the agency.
The agency had issued a notice to Toor on Wednesday for an inquiry into “alleged dissemination, transmission and/or public exhibition of false/fake information” by him. He was directed to appear before the NCCIA Cybercrime Reporting Centre in Islamabad at 11am on July 31.
Toor challenged the summons in the IHC on Thursday, arguing that the NCCIA had failed to fulfil the legal requirements while issuing the notice and did not provide details of the allegations levelled against him. On Friday, Justice Mohammad Azam Khan took up Toor’s petition. Advocate Attaullah Kundi appeared before the court on behalf of the petitioner.
During the hearing, the court asked the petitioner’s counsel, “Why don’t you appear before the NCCIA? Don’t you have a defence?” On Wednesday, the National Press Club (NPC) had condemned the NCCIA notice to Toor, expressing alarm at the state of press freedom.
Asserting that the right to freedom of expression was a constitutional right, NPC leadership said, “Subjecting journalists to legal pressure and retaliation for performing their professional duties or expressing critical opinions is not a good omen for any democratic society.”
NPC urged institutions to play their respective roles in accordance with law, constitution and fundamental human rights. Free, responsible and safe journalism is the foundation of a strong democratic system,” NPC said, demanding that notice be withdrawn and the “constitutional and legal rights” of journalists be respected.