LAHORE: A judicial magistrate on Thursday denied bail to journalist Azharul Haq, who has been accused of making ‘anti-state’ remarks and criticising former military strongman General (r) Pervez Musharraf on the social media. Presenting his arguments, Haq’s lawyer told Judicial Magistrate Amir Raza that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has leveled a baseless allegation against his client. The Constitution allows freedom of expression, he said, adding that the journalist has just been arrested to spread fear among members of the media. A person can be imprisoned for up to seven years or fined under Section 11. Section 20 is punishable by a jail term of three and/or a fine of Rs1 million, while the maximum sentence under Section 505 is seven years.

Source: Pakistan Today January 23, 2020 16:41 UTC