"We have enough evidence to proceed," said Shahid Hayat, the provincial director at Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency. "We have forensic evidence." Television footage showed investigators leading Sheikh away from his office in handcuffs. He later appeared before Judge Noor Mohammad, who ordered Sheikh held for seven days for police questioning on charges of fraud, forgery and cybercrime. Sheikh's lawyer, Shaukat Hayat, said his client's family would be permitted to see him while he remains in custody.
Hayat, who is not related to the FIA provincial director, previously has said his client denies the allegations against him. Sheikh, in an earlier video message, denied the charges. The arrest marks a downfall for Sheikh and Axact, which planned to launch a new television channel in Pakistan. The software company has described case against it as a conspiracy by rival media groups. Investigators say others were as well in the raid. It was not immediately known how many people were arrested in all.