Bilal Shah, the husband of social media sensation Hareem Shah, has returned home after a five-day detention by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for questioning related to controversial social media posts associated with the TikTok star.
Hareem Shah had initially claimed in a video statement from London that her husband had been “kidnapped for unknown reasons.” However, Bilal’s family clarified that he was detained for questioning regarding his wife’s social media posts.
Bilal was reportedly apprehended in Karachi’s Qayyumabad area upon his return to Pakistan 10 days ago. During his detention, he was interrogated regarding the contentious posts attributed to an account using Hareem’s name.
In a statement, Bilal, currently in Karachi, expressed that he had been treated respectfully by the investigative agency. He stated that he had no involvement with the Twitter account associated with Hareem and cooperated fully during the investigation. He also mentioned that his family had filed a kidnapping FIR initially but would withdraw it, as he has faith in the legal system.
Security sources disclosed that Bilal informed investigators that he was unaware of the individual behind Hareem’s account on the microblogging platform X (formerly known as Twitter). However, he believed that Hareem was aware of the account handler’s identity and had granted approval for its operation. Authorities expressed their intention to speak with Hareem about the account.
Notably, several prominent figures, including leaders of the Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), had filed complaints with the FIA regarding the alleged defamatory content on the account.
Meanwhile, Bilal’s family maintained that he had not committed any crimes and was detained solely as part of the ongoing investigation into the X account.
Previously, a petition had been filed in the Sindh High Court, challenging the “illegal detention” of Bilal by law enforcement personnel. The petitioner, Shahzadi Begum, contended that her son Syed Bilal Shah was apprehended by law enforcement agencies on August 27 in the Korangi area, and his whereabouts were unknown. She asserted that her son’s detention was linked to his wife Hareem’s social media activism and her political views expressed on social media.