YouTuber Rehan Tariq Arrested in PECA and Blasphemy Case, Lahore Court Grants 6-Day Physical Remand

Pakistani YouTuber Rehan Tariq has been sent on a six-day physical remand by a Lahore court after being arrested in a case registered under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and blasphemy-related provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Official sources said the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) arrested Rehan Tariq on his arrival at Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore, from the United Kingdom.

The case has been registered under Section 295-A and other relevant provisions of the IPC on the complaint of Deputy Director Cyber Crime Rizwan Sabir. Authorities told the court that his name was already on the Provincial No-Fly List (PNIL) and his detention at the airport was as a result of that.

The NCCIA investigation team had asked for a one-week physical remand during the hearing held in the District Court in Lahore, alleging that a number of complaints had been received by religious groups against the allegedly controversial podcasts uploaded by the YouTuber.

Further investigation was needed to make a detailed investigation, recover digital evidence, examine Rehan Tariq’s mobile phone and online accounts, and secure the original podcasts and other electronic evidence associated with the case, investigators told the court.

On hearing the arguments, judicial magistrate gave permission for the physical remand to be extended by 6 days against the one week sought. The court had asked investigators to bring Rehan Tariq again after the remand period and provide it with a fresh investigation report.

The case is still under investigation by authorities and has garnered public interest as claims made in the PECA Act and blasphemy law are being probed. A verdict has not yet been reached, and the allegations have not yet been investigated.