Journalist Mohsin Baig was arrested following a raid by the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) cybercrime wing, a private TV channel reported on Wednesday.
The FIA cybercrime wing raided the journalist’s house in the federal capital, along with the police, and took him into custody. Speaking to the TV channel, Baig’s son said that FIA officials in plainclothes came to their house earlier today and arrested his father. “Initially, we thought that they (FIA personnel) are thieves and opened aerial fire, but later they introduced themselves as law enforcers. We also asked them to show arrest warrants but they didn’t have any. Meanwhile, a police party also came to our house.”
The FIA reportedly “faced resistance” during the raid and “dragged” the journalist to a van. According to a press release issued by the investigation agency, the FIA raided Baig’s house in F8 on the complaint of Minister for Communications Murad Saeed. The statement further mentioned that the FIA conducted the raid after obtaining a search and seizure warrant from court. “During the raid, Mohsin Baig and his son and servants directly fired at the FIA team and made two officials hostage,” the press release said. It added that Baig was arrested after he ran out of bullets and was taken to Margalla police station. According to the first information report (FIR), Baig had used immoral language for Murad Saeed in a talk show. It said Baig had related a “baseless story with derogatory remarks” which was subsequently shared on social media and had “shattered” the federal minister’s image in public.
Following the arrest, Baig’s lawyer Raheel Niazi filed a petition against the “illegal detention” of the journalist. The petition was heard by additional sessions judge Justice Zafar Iqbal. The court appointed a bailiff, ordering the authorities to produce Baig in court. Baig’s lawyer informed the judge that people in plainclothes came to his house and took the journalist with them. The journalist and his family members sought arrest warrants and search warrants from the SP and DS; however, they defied all requests.
The lawyer further added that the officials in plainclothes smashed mobile phones and hit the children at the house, taking Baig with them. Meanwhile, the Islamabad police spokesperson said that FIA faced resistance and Baig opened fire due to which an FIA official was injured. “Baig has been transferred to the police station and further legal action is being taken,” the spokesperson said. On the other hand, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Communication Shahbaz Gill on Sunday had said that the government had approached the country’s courts against a journalist who issued “insulting and fabricated” statements about First Lady Bushra Bibi. The SAPM said that “strict legal action will be taken against those who spread false news about the first lady.”
