ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani court on Saturday granted bail to journalist Asad Ali Toor in a case registered against him for campaigning against the judiciary.
Toor, a reporter and a popular video blogger in Pakistan, was arrested on Feb. 26 on charges of orchestrating a campaign against the state and its officials, with the “objective to coerce, intimidate, and incite violence” against them through his social media platforms.
His arrest came a month after Pakistan formed a joint investigation team (JIT) to probe a “malicious” social media campaign against the country’s judges. The decision was taken after the Supreme Court decided to uphold a ruling by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to strip jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s party of its election symbol. The decision was criticized by Khan supporters, journalists and political analysts on social media.
In recent months, several of Toor’s posts and videos on YouTube have been critical of government agencies, Pakistan’s military establishment and the Supreme Court.
“The accused has been granted bail in the case mentioned above,” Judge Humayyun Dilawar said in his release orders to Adiala jail superintendent on Saturday. “Hence, if not wanted in any other case, then release [the accused] after verifying surety bonds.”
Pakistani media bodies, including the Press Association of the Supreme Court and the Islamabad High Court Journalists Association, earlier filed a joint petition requesting the top court to cancel the JIT probing the alleged campaign against the judiciary.
Leading Pakistani media bodies also urged the government and judiciary to intervene to stop what they said was growing censorship and pressure from state institutions.
Pakistani state institutions deny they control media groups.
Pakistani court grants bail to journalist Asad Toor in anti-judiciary campaign case
https://arab.news/y3gdt
Pakistani court grants bail to journalist Asad Toor in anti-judiciary campaign case
- Asad Toor was arrested on Feb. 26 on charges of running an online campaign against state and its officials
- His arrest came month after Pakistan formed inquiry team to probe alleged online campaign against judiciary
Pakistan says $50 million meat export deal with Tajikistan nearing finalization
- Islamabad expects to finalize agreement soon after Dushanbe signals demand for 100,000 tons
- Pakistan is seeking to expand agricultural trade beyond rice, citrus and mango exports
ISLAMABAD: Tajikistan has expressed interest in importing 100,000 tons of Pakistani meat worth more than $50 million, with both governments expected to finalize a supply agreement soon, Pakistan’s food security ministry said on Tuesday.
Pakistan is trying to grow agriculture-based exports as it seeks regional markets for livestock and food commodities, while Tajikistan, a landlocked Central Asian state, has been expanding food imports to support domestic demand. Pakistan currently exports rice, citrus and mangoes to Dushanbe, though volumes remain small compared to national production, according to official figures.
The development came during a meeting in Islamabad between Pakistan’s Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain and Ambassador of Tajikistan Yusuf Sharifzoda, where agricultural trade, livestock supply and food-security cooperation were discussed.
“Tajikistan intends to purchase 100,000 tons of meat from Pakistan, an import valued at over USD 50 million,” the ambassador said, according to the ministry’s statement, assuring full facilitation and that Islamabad was prepared to meet the demand.
The statement said the two sides agreed to expand cooperation in meat and livestock, fresh fruit, vegetables, staple crops, agricultural research, pest management and standards compliance. Pakistan also proposed strengthening coordination on phytosanitary rules and establishing pest-free production zones to support long-term exports.
Pakistan and Tajikistan have long maintained political ties but bilateral food trade remains below potential: Pakistan produces 1.8 million tons of mangoes annually but exported just 0.7 metric tons to Tajikistan in 2024, while rice exports amounted to only 240 metric tons in 2022 out of national output of 9.3 million tons. Pakistan imports mainly ginned cotton from Tajikistan.
