ISLAMABAD: Detained journalist and Vloggor Asad Toor has been on hunger strike since his arrest by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) over charges of “social media campaign” against the top judiciary, his lawyer Hadi Ali Chatta said on Thursday.
“Toor has not eaten anything for the past 36 hours,” his counsel told the media about Toor’s health and his meeting with his mother who was allowed to see him on court’s orders at the FIA office.
“The FIA also called rescue personnel after Toor fell sick last night,” he added.
Hadi said that during custody, the FIA didn’t interrogate Toor about the anti-judiciary campaign, adding he is being asked about vlogs he did about other people.
Iman Mazari, Toor’s other counsel, shared that the investigation done so far has nothing to do with the campaign against apex court’s judges.
“He is being pressurised to reveal his sources and social media account passwords, which Asad Toor has denied.”
On Tuesday, Judicial Magistrate Islamabad Muhammad Shabbir sent the vlogger on a five-day physical and directed the FIA to produce the accused again on March 3, 2024.
The FIA produced Asad Toor before Magistrate Mohammad Shabbir and sought his remand.
During the hearing, Toor told the magistrate, that he was a journalist and could not give his mobile phone. He said he had appeared before the FIA twice and his lawyer told him that he had received the notice in hand on February 24.
The vlogger said that they moved the high court against the call-up notice, and reached the FIA office with the high court’s order on February 26 to inquire about the FIR and the allegations levelled against him.
According to the FIR against Toor, the vlogger allegedly ran a malicious campaign against the judiciary on social media platforms X and YouTube.
It added that he had fueled anti-state activities through social media and he has been booked under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016.
