Bilal Farooqi, a senior journalist associated with English-language daily The Express Tribune, was allegedly taken into custody from his home in DHA neighbourhood of Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh, by Defence Police in the evening of September 11, reports Dawn. Karachi Police Chief, Additional Inspector General Ghulam Nabi Memon, confirmed that "Bilal Farooqui of Express Tribune" had been "arrested by the station investigation officer (SIO) of Defence police". Memon said Farooqi was "wanted in FIR No. 613/2020 u/s 500/505 PPC of Defence police station, dated 9.9.2020”.
According to the contents of the FIR reviewed by Dawn, the complainant, Javed Khan, a resident of Majeed Colony in Landhi, said that he is a machine operator at a factory in the Landhi area. He said he visited a restaurant in DHA Phase-II Extension on September 9 where he checked his Facebook and Twitter accounts and found "highly objectionable material" shared by Farooqi on the two platforms. The complainant claimed that "highly provocative posts" had been shared by Farooqi against the Pakistan Army and that the same also contained material pertaining to religious hatred. Khan alleged that Farooqi had "defamed" the Pakistan Army and such social media posts may be used by hostile elements for their "nefarious designs". Therefore, legal action should be taken against him, he said.