Journalist Bilal Ghouri arrested by NCCIA over social media posts

Senior Pakistani journalist and TV Today anchor Bilal Ghouri has been arrested by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). His arrest follows reports from his family that he had gone missing from his home office around 2:00 AM, leaving behind his glasses and purse with his mobile phone switched off.

Authorities registered a First Information Report (FIR) at 12:10 AM following an X post and a 16-minute YouTube video Ghouri published on September 5 regarding the appointment of a National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) coordinator. The FIR alleges that Ghouri’s content was “fabricated and allegation-based” and that he “deliberately made fabricated content” that was “false, misleading and without solid evidence.”

The incident has sparked significant concerns regarding press freedom among the journalism community and the Islamabad Press Club. Advocates have noted the tension caused by the family's initial belief that Ghouri was missing while authorities were simultaneously processing his arrest.