A local court in Lahore has granted a two-day physical remand of Falak Javed to National Cyber Crime Agency for retrieving password and extract data from her mobile phone in a case pertaining to the uploading of obscene material and anti-state content on social media.
According to Express News, the accused was produced before the Lahore judicial magistrate in two separate cases by the National Cyber Crime Agency (NCCA), where Judge Naeem Wattoo presided over the proceedings.
During the hearing, the NCCA representative informed the court that investigators had been unable to access the data stored in the accused’s mobile phone. The agency claimed that Javed provided incorrect answers during interrogation and did not grant access to her phone when requested.
When the judge asked whether the accused’s social media account had been suspended, the NCCA official replied that it had not been, adding that due to repeated failed attempts, access could only be regained after 48 hours.
The agency requested an extension of physical remand to retrieve the password and extract data from the device. However, the judge expressed concern over repeated remand requests, observing that Javed was “a woman, not a terrorist,” and that she was a citizen of Pakistan entitled to constitutional rights.
The court questioned the need for further remand, saying: “If the NCCA continues to seek remand after remand, what is the purpose of the law? Pakistan is a state that guarantees rights to its citizens. If courts continue to act solely on the institutions’ requests, what happens to the constitutional rights of freedom of expression and due process?”
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Javed addressed the court, stating that she had not been called for interrogation even once during the remand period. “Where is the complainant who accused me of uploading a video? Has she provided any evidence? I’m being treated as a witness and accused at the same time,” she said.
She also questioned the gender bias in the proceedings, remarking: “It is often said that Azma Bokhari is a woman — am I not a woman too? If there’s proof that I uploaded the content, why am I being repeatedly summoned for questioning?”
Her lawyer, Advocate Maroof, argued that the NCCA had been seeking remand repeatedly on the same grounds without progress. “If nothing has been found in 14 days, what difference will two more days make? This is not a terrorism case — it’s a simple investigation being unnecessarily prolonged,” he said.
He added that no device or evidence had been recovered from his client and that the NCCA had not provided copies of the case record. The defence counsel also questioned the absence of female officers during the investigation, stating that there was no record of any official visit to or from the jail involving a woman officer.
During the hearing, Javed also complained that her belongings had not been returned despite court orders. The NCCA official responded that her items were in the lockup and the key was not immediately available.
The defence accused the NCCA of ignoring court directives, arguing that the case was being pursued on assumptions rather than evidence. “The complainant, the investigator, and the witness appear to be the same person — this investigation is biased,” the lawyer contended.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the court reserved its verdict and later announced its decision, approving a further two-day physical remand of Javed.
