Journalist bodies condemn arrest of Farhan Mallick under Peca

Strongly condemning the arrest of Farhan Mallick by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) under the recently amended controversial Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), the media bodies on Friday demanded the government to release the journalist immediately. 

The FIA took the journalist into custody earlier this week for allegedly violating the Peca and airing “anti-state” content on his YouTube channel. Earlier today, a judicial magistrate in Karachi handed over the journalist to the investigation agency on a four-day physical remand.

The contentious Peca law was recently amended and journalist bodies across the country have been protesting the law, dubbing it an attempt to gag freedom of speech and intimidate newspersons and their media outlets.

In a statement, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) expressed concern over the arrest of Mallick by the FIA. The PFUJ termed his arrest as a “blatant attempt” to stifle free speech and intimidate journalists who dare to criticise those in power.

In a joint statement, PFUJ President Afzal Butt and Secretary-General Arshad Ansari demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Mallick, as well as a transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his arrest.

"It is imperative that the government reins in agencies like the FIA, which have a history of overstepping their authority and suppressing dissenting voices," read the statement.

The PFUJ emphasised that Article 19 of the Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of expression, and it is the government's duty to uphold this fundamental right.

The PFUJ leadership urged the authorities to respect the principles of democracy and protect the freedom of the press, noting that the international community is watching.

Similarly, the Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND) also denounced the arrest of Mallick and described the FIA's action as malicious.

In a statement, AEMEND said that the content of the FIR registered against the journalist was vague, unclear and bogus. The media body said that the FIR was aimed at harassing and suppressing the voice of dissents.

“We have already made it clear that the Peca amendment bill would be used against the journalists,” read the statement.

The media body urged the federal government, interior minister and DG FIA to launch investigations into such cases that bring disrepute to the country and the institutions.