TV Today’s Anchor and Journalist Bilal Ghauri was detained at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport after his name appeared on the Exit Control List, preventing him from traveling to Bangladesh to cover upcoming elections, with authorities yet to explain the action.
By MediaBites | Media Desk
Senior journalist, TV Today’s Anchor and vlogger Bilal Ghauri was detained by immigration authorities at Jinnah International Airport on Saturday evening after his name reportedly appeared on Pakistan’s Exit Control List, blocking him from traveling to Dhaka to cover Bangladesh’s February 12, 2026, parliamentary elections.
Photos circulating among journalists showed Ghauri sitting beside his luggage, apparently handcuffed. The images quickly spread across media circles and triggered concern from fellow reporters and commentators. Journalists, including Asad Ali Toor and Azaz Syed, publicly questioned the action and asked authorities to explain the reason behind the restriction.
So far, officials have not issued any statement clarifying why his name was placed on the Exit Control List or on what legal basis he was detained.
Previous legal scrutiny
Ghauri has previously faced legal proceedings linked to his political commentary. In June 2021, the Federal Investigation Agency’s cybercrime wing summoned him over alleged defamation related to his YouTube content. The Islamabad High Court later suspended that notice and called the agency’s director to explain the action, stressing that fundamental rights must be protected.
The development also follows other cases involving journalists stopped from traveling abroad. In November 2025, journalist Sohrab Barkat was detained at Islamabad airport while attempting to leave the country despite a court order removing his name from a watch list.
Reporting assignment halted
Ghauri was scheduled to travel to Bangladesh to cover national elections considered significant in the region’s political landscape. His detention has raised fresh questions inside newsrooms about travel restrictions, legal clarity and safety planning for journalists assigned to international political coverage.
At the time of publication, authorities had not provided any official explanation for the arrest.
Later, Ghauri confirmed he had been released and described the episode as a misunderstanding.
In a message shared in Urdu, he said:
“گزشتہ شب کراچی انٹرنیشنل ایئرپورٹ پر کسی تکنیکی غلطی کی بنیاد پر ایک ناخوشگوار واقعہ پیش آیا جس میں کسی ادارے کا قصور نہیں۔ اب میں بالکل خیریت سے ہوں اور ان شاء اللہ پہلی دستیاب فلائٹ سے حسب ارادہ ڈھاکہ پہنچوں گا۔ اداروں کی نوازش، مجھے اپنے ملک اور قوم پر فخر ہے، شکریہ۔”
He added he plans to travel on the next available flight to complete his reporting assignment.
The incident sparked debate online but appears to have been resolved without further action.
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