A local court in Lahore has granted two-day physical remand to Falak Javed before the National Cyber Crime Agency for recovering password and extracting data from his mobile phone in a case related to uploading obscene material and anti-state content on social media.
According to Express News, the accused was produced before the Lahore judicial magistrate in two separate cases by the National Cyber Crime Agency (NCCA), where Justice Naeem Wattoo presided over the proceedings.
During the hearing, the NCCA representative informed the court that investigators had been unable to access data stored on the defendant’s mobile phone. The agency claimed that Javed provided incorrect answers during interrogation and did not give access to his phone when requested.
When the judge asked if the accused’s social media account had been suspended, the NCCA official replied that it had not, adding that due to repeated failed attempts, access could only be regained after 48 hours.
The agency requested an extension of the physical remand to recover the password and extract data from the device. However, the judge expressed concern over the repeated requests for remand and noted that Javed was “a woman, not a terrorist” and was a citizen of Pakistan with constitutional rights.
The court questioned the need for further remand, saying: “If the NCCA continues to ask for remand after remand, what is the purpose of the law? Pakistan is a state that guarantees the rights of its citizens. If the courts continue to act solely on the requests of institutions, what happens to the constitutional rights of freedom of expression and due process?”
Read more: Falak Javed arrested in sedition cases, fake videos
Javed addressed the court and claimed that she had not been summoned for questioning even once during the remand period. “Where is the complainant who accused me of uploading a video? Has she provided any evidence? They treat me as a witness and an accused at the same time,” he said.
She also questioned the gender bias in the process, commenting, “Azma Bokhari is often said to be a woman. Am I not a woman too? If there is proof that I uploaded the content, why am I repeatedly summoned for questioning?”
His lawyer, Advocate Maroof, argued that the NCCA had been seeking remand repeatedly on the same grounds, without making any progress. “If nothing has been found in 14 days, what difference will two more days make? This is not a case of terrorism, it is a simple investigation that is prolonged unnecessarily,” he said.
He added that no device or evidence had been recovered from his client and that the NCCA had not provided copies of the case file. The defense attorney also questioned the absence of female officers during the investigation, stating that there was no record of any official visit to or from jail involving a female officer.
During the hearing, Javed also complained that his belongings had not been returned despite court orders. The NCCA official responded that his items were locked away and the key was not immediately available.
The defense accused the NCCA of ignoring court directives, arguing that the case was being conducted based on assumptions rather than evidence. “The complainant, the investigator and the witness appear to be the same person; this investigation is partial,” said the lawyer.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the court reserved its verdict and later announced its decision, approving an additional two-day remand for Javed.
