YouTuber Sohrab Barkat gets bail in PECA case
Bail granted by SC against Rs200,000 surety bonds: Journalist had been jailed on judicial remand due to anti-state cybersecurity charges
The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday granted post-arrest bail to journalist and YouTuber Sohrab Barkat, who had been detained under provisions of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).
According to the 24NewsHD TV channel, the apex court approved bail against surety bonds amounting to Rs200,000.
The case was heard by SC Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb, who took up the petition seeking relief for the detained YouTuber.
Sohrab Barkat had been booked under sections of the PECA law and was lodged in Kot Lakhpat Jail on judicial remand. The charges relate to allegations of sharing anti-state content on social media platforms.
On December 17, a local court rejected a request by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) seeking a 10-day physical remand of Sohrab Barkat. Instead, the court sent him to jail on judicial remand.
Earlier, Barkat had been presented before the court upon completion of a two-day physical remand. Judicial Magistrate Abbas Shah presided over the hearing at that stage.
The NCCIA had registered a case against him under multiple sections of PECA.
Sohrab Barkat is a Pakistani digital journalist and YouTuber known for his political commentary and reporting for the news outlet Siasat.
He runs the YouTube channel Sohrab Barkat Official, which has over 470,000 subscribers and thousands of videos focusing on Pakistani politics.
He is an Islamabad-based correspondent for Siasat.pk, where he frequently covers opposition rallies and political developments.
He was originally detained for allegedly making "derogatory remarks" and spreading misinformation about state institutions on his digital platforms. The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has registered multiple complaints against him under cybercrime laws.
While he secured bail in two cases in December 2025, the Lahore High Court denied a third bail application on January 21, 2026, after the prosecution labelled him an "absconder".
Reporter: Amanat Gishkori