ISLAMABAD:The District and Sessions Court of Islamabad on Friday rejected the appeals filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PaRI) social media activist Haider Saeed in two cases linked to controversial tweets.
The court upheld the earlier decision of a judicial magistrate that had refused his bail.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka heard the appeals. After hearing arguments from both sides, the court announced its decision and dismissed the appeals.
During the hearing, the defence counsel argued that the tweets posted by Haider Saeed did not contain any content that could create unrest. The lawyers also told the court that the cases were registered on political grounds.
The defence further said that Saeed’s mobile phone and other digital devices were already in the custody of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). They argued that since the authorities already had access to the devices, there was no reason to keep him in custody.
The prosecution opposed the bail requests and asked the court to maintain the earlier decision. Prosecutors argued that the accused had used social media to call for blocking dams and highways.
They also told the court that digital terrorism does not involve weapons but statements that can lead to disruption. Cases against Haider Saeed were registered by the NCCIA over the controversial tweets.