Journalist Sohrab Barkat granted post-arrest bail by Supreme Court

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Feb, 2026) The Supreme Court of Pakistan has granted post-arrest bail to journalist Sohrab Barkat, ordering his release upon submission of surety bonds worth Rs200,000.

Barkat had been booked under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 (PECA), and was in judicial custody at Kot Lakhpat Jail.

The case was heard by a two-member bench comprising Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb.

During the hearing, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan observed that bail had been granted even in cases involving Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which pertains to murder, and remarked that the present case did not involve a death penalty offence.

He also questioned how many YouTube channels were currently operating in Pakistan and noted that Barkat himself had not made any controversial remarks during the interview in question. The individual who allegedly made the contentious statements, the court observed, was not before the bench.

The court inquired about the stage of the trial. Barkat’s counsel, Barrister Saad Rasool, submitted that the principal accused in the case was Sanam Javed, but she had not been included in the investigation initially.

He informed the bench that although the challan had been submitted, the defence had not been granted access to it. He added that charges had yet to be framed and the formal trial had not commenced.

Upon the court’s query, the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) investigating officer stated that the investigation against Sanam Javed had been completed and a supplementary challan had been submitted.

Justice Afghan remarked that if the accused had been under arrest and on judicial remand since November 2025, further investigation should not have been necessary at this stage.

FIA counsel Raja Aleem Abbasi requested time until the following day, stating that the case file had only recently been received and that he would assist the court after reviewing it.

At the conclusion of the hearing, the court approved Barkat’s bail application and ordered his release against surety bonds of Rs200,000.