A court in Karachi’s East District granted bail to journalist Farhan Mallick on Monday, following his arrest in connection with a case involving anti-state content. Mallick, who is the founder of the digital platform Raftar, was detained by the FIA Cyber Crime Wing on March 20 for allegedly uploading material targeting the state and its institutions. The court approved his bail against a bond of Rs 100,000.
The investigation, which has been ongoing for three months, charges Mallick under the Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) for his content on his YouTube channel.
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The case stems from an FIR filed by the FIA on March 20, after reports surfaced about anti-state material aired on Raftar TV. The charges include violations under Sections 16 (unauthorized use of identity), 20 (defamation), 500 (punishment for defamation), and 109 (abetment) of the PPC, along with Section 26A of PECA, which criminalizes the spreading of “fake news” that could cause public unrest.
Mallick’s legal troubles expanded after he was placed in physical remand by the FIA in another case involving fraud through an alleged call center on March 26. Initially, his bail application was rejected, but an appeal to the District and Sessions Judge East resulted in the court issuing notices to the FIA regarding his plea.
The case has raised concerns about press freedom in Pakistan, particularly regarding the criminalization of online content considered “fake news,” which can lead to penalties of up to three years in prison and fines of up to Rs 2 million under Section 26A of PECA.
