New York, September 9, 2026—Pakistani authorities must immediately release independent journalist Muhammad Bilal Ghauri and drop the cybercrime case filed against him over his commentary about the appointment of a senior counterterrorism official, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday.
Ghauri, who covers news via his popular YouTube channel, was reported missing by his family early on September 6 after disappearing from the ground-floor office of his home in Islamabad.
Authorities later confirmed that he had been detained by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), which launched a criminal investigation against him for allegedly violating Pakistan’s Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), which makes the dissemination of “fake or false” information a criminal offense. An Islamabad district court granted the agency three days’ physical remand of the journalist on September 6.
Ghauri’s detention follows commentary posted to his X account about the circumstances surrounding Major General Faisal Naseer’s appointment as national coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Authority.
“Detaining journalist Muhammad Bilal Ghauri’s for his commentary on the appointment of a public official to a national security agency is a disturbing attack on press freedom in Pakistan,” said CPJ’s Afghanistan Pakistan representative Waliullah Rahmani. “Pakistani authorities should release Ghauri immediately, drop the case against him, and ensure that journalists can scrutinize state institutions without fear of reprisal.”
Ghauri has faced scrutiny in the past for his journalism. In June 2021, the Federal Investigation Agency summoned him for questioning over alleged online defamation.
His detention comes amid Pakistani authorities’ escalating use of the PECA and other cybercrime laws against journalists and online commentators.
On July 29, the NCCIA summoned Islamabad-based journalist and YouTuber Asad Ali Toor for questioning under the PECA for the alleged dissemination of “false or fake information.” Journalist Sohrab Barkat has also faced detention and prosecution under the act in connection with his reporting.
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar did not respond to CPJ’s text message requesting comment.
This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.