Pakistani journalist Sohrab Barakat detained over interview with opposition politician

New York, December 2, 2025—Pakistani authorities must immediately release journalist Sohrab Barkat, drop all pending charges against him, and cease intimidating members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Tuesday.

Barkat, an Islamabad-based correspondent for Pakistani news outlet Siasat and the host of his own YouTube channel, was detained at Islamabad International Airport on his way to a United Nations conference on November 26, said multiple news reports and the journalist’s lawyer, Saad Rasool, who spoke to CPJ via a messaging app.

The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) registered a case against Barkat on August 5, alleging he had made “derogatory remarks” and spread misinformation about state institutions, according to news outlet Dawn and a court document reviewed by CPJ. Rasool said the allegedly insulting remarks were made by Sanam Javed, a member of the main opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, in an interview with Barkat that was published on Siasat’s YouTube channel.

“The detention of journalist Sohrab Barkat is yet another disturbing example of Pakistani authorities harassing the media,” said CPJ Asia-Pacific Director Beh Lih Yi. “Authorities must immediately release him and ensure that journalists in Pakistan can report without fear of detention, threats, or intimidation.”

On November 28, NCCIA officials presented the journalist before a Section 30 Judicial Magistrate at Lahore District Courts, where the cybercrime agency was granted a four-day physical remand of Barkat to recover his social media accounts and complete the investigation.

The journalist is due to appear in court again on December 2, his lawyers said, adding it remained unclear whether the magistrate would order an additional remand period.

The NCCIA’s office in Lahore did not immediately reply to CPJ’s emailed request for comment on Barkat’s detention. Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar also did not reply to a text message seeking comment.