The Islamabad District and Sessions Court has granted bail to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Alia Hamza in a case filed under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA). Additional Sessions Judge Afzal Majoka presided over the hearing of Hamza’s pre-arrest bail application. During the proceedings, the prosecutor faced stern criticism from the court for presenting irrelevant references under PECA. Judge Majoka questioned the applicability of Section 9, remarking, "Section 9 applies when there is evidence of a connection to a banned organization. Is there any proof that Alia Hamza interfered with state institutions?" The prosecutor presented a video as evidence, but when questioned by the judge, admitted that no forensic analysis had been conducted on the footage.

The prosecutor maintained that the transcript was available and argued that the case pertained to Sections 9 and 10 of PECA. Judge Majoka, however, clarified that the charges presented aligned more with Section 24A of PECA, which deals with procedural matters and is silent on penalties. The judge further noted, “Sections 9 and 10 do not apply in this case. If the prosecution has no relevant material under Section 24A, my order will be clear.” After hearing arguments from both sides, the court confirmed Alia Hamza’s bail, setting a bond of PKR 50,000.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan