Lahore — In a pivotal move early today, a local court has granted Falak Javed a further physical remand in order to retrieve mobile data and passwords as part of a probe into alleged objectionable and anti-state content on social media.
Facing two separate cases, she was produced before Judicial Magistrate Naeem Wattoo, where officials from the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) urged the court to allow additional custody. The NCCIA contended that despite earlier remands, access to her device remained locked due to withheld passwords.
Key Developments in the Case
- The court approved two extra days of physical remand to allow forensic extraction of data.
- The defense questioned the efficacy of repeated remand requests, arguing that no meaningful progress had been made so far.
- Falak Javed herself challenged aspects of the case, asking why evidence wasn’t presented and highlighting that she had not even been formally interrogated during prior custody.
- The court, while allowing more time, expressed concerns over continuing remands in non-terrorism cases, cautioning that constitutional rights cannot be sidelined.
Observers note that this extension comes amid growing debates over freedom of expression, rule of law, and procedural fairness in sensitive digital investigations.
Meanwhile, related attention has been drawn to the disappearance of PTI leader Sanam Javed from Peshawar.
As the investigation continues, the court has directed the NCCIA to submit an interim progress report. Further remand beyond the approved period will be contingent upon tangible evidence of data retrieval or investigative advancement.
With constitutional safeguards under close scrutiny, this case may set precedents for how courts balance citizens’ rights with state interest in cybercrime probes.
