Journalist and podcast host Rehan Tariq was arrested by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) after returning to Pakistan from London early Wednesday morning, following several hours of detention by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
According to the available information, Tariq was stopped by FIA officials upon his arrival at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport and was held for several hours before being informed that he had been named in a case being investigated by the NCCIA. He was subsequently handed over to the cybercrime agency.
According to NCCIA officials, the case is linked to Tariq’s latest podcast featuring religious scholar Jawad Naqvi. The episode was recorded before Tariq travelled to the United Kingdom for a private holiday. While investigators are examining the content of the podcast, the NCCIA has not publicly disclosed the specific allegations or the legal provisions under which the case has been registered.
Tariq was reportedly unaware that any inquiry or criminal case had been initiated against him before his return to Pakistan. He had travelled to the United Kingdom for a personal holiday and only learned of the investigation after being detained at the airport.
Neither the FIA nor the NCCIA had issued an official statement by the time this report was filed, leaving the exact nature of the allegations and the reasons for Tariq’s initial detention unclear.
It also remains unclear when Tariq will be produced before a court or whether the NCCIA will release further details regarding the investigation.
