Islamabad court grants Dr Fazeela Abbasi interim pre-arrest bail

ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad court on Tuesday granted interim pre-arrest bail to dermatologist Dr Fazeela Abbasi and directed her to join the investigation in a case linked to allegations of blasphemy and cybercrime, according to court proceedings reported by Dawn.

The matter was heard by Additional Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka, who approved Abbasi’s interim bail against surety bonds of Rs50,000. The court also instructed her to cooperate with investigators and sought the case record from the relevant authorities.

The development came after a first information report was registered against Abbasi under provisions related to blasphemy and the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act. The case was lodged at Islamabad’s Ramna police station.

The complaint was filed by a citizen who alleged that content shared on social media had hurt religious sentiments. The FIR included sections 295-C, 298-A and 11 of Peca.

During the hearing, Abbasi’s counsel argued that the allegations were baseless and maintained that his client had no intention of committing any offence. The lawyer told the court that Abbasi was willing to cooperate with the investigation.

The court subsequently granted interim pre-arrest bail and restrained authorities from arresting her until the next hearing, while directing her to appear before the investigating officer.

Case background

The case emerged after social media posts drew criticism and led to legal action. The complainant alleged that the material in question was offensive and sought action under the relevant laws.

Following the registration of the case, Abbasi approached the court for protective relief. Her petition requested interim pre-arrest bail on the grounds that she intended to join the investigation and that the accusations against her were unfounded.

The court accepted the request for interim relief and issued notice to the concerned parties. It also directed investigators to present the record at the next hearing.

The case is set to proceed after the submission of the record and further arguments from both sides. Dawn reported that the interim relief will remain in place until the next date of hearing.