A Lahore sessions court on Tuesday granted post-arrest bail to anchorperson and podcast host Rehan Tariq in a blasphemy case registered by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA).

Additional Sessions Judge Nusrat Ali Siddiqui approved the bail application after hearing detailed arguments from both sides and ordered Tariq’s release against surety bonds worth Rs100,000.

During the hearing, Tariq’s counsel argued that the contents of the first information report (FIR) did not establish the commission of any cognisable offence.

The defence maintained that conducting an interview on historical religious questions does not constitute a criminal offence under Pakistani law.

The lawyer further told the court that investigators had not recovered or used any electronic device belonging to the journalist during the investigation, nor had they found any evidence linking him to the uploading of the disputed video or interview.

The defence also argued that all offences invoked in the case were bailable, making post-arrest bail the accused’s legal and constitutional right.

The NCCIA had registered a blasphemy case against Tariq. Earlier this month, a judicial magistrate granted the agency a six-day physical remand of the journalist at the request of the investigating officer to facilitate the probe.

The case relates to allegations over content shared online, though investigators have not publicly disclosed further details of the inquiry.