Journalist Farhan Mallick released from jail after bail in anti-state content, fraud cases

Journalist Farhan Mallick has been released from Malir jail, where he was in judicial custody, after a local court approved his bail in multiple cases concerning his alleged involvement in spreading anti-state content and defrauding people via an illegal call centre, the District Malir jail superintendent said on Monday.

The court, granting bail to Mallick in the case registered under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), directed him to submit a surety bond worth Rs100,000

The journalist, a former news director of a private TV channel, was initially taken into custody by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on March 20 for allegedly violating Peca and involvement in defamation.

Apart from the Peca case, the court also approved Mallick's bail in a case related to his alleged involvement in operating an illegal call centre responsible for stealing data from foreigners and defrauding them. The court ordered him to furnish a surety of Rs100,000 for his bail in this case as well.

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

A FIR was lodged against him under multiple sections of Peca, read with Pakistan Penal Code's Section 190 (punishment of abetment if the act abetted committed in consequence and where no express provision is made for its punishment) and 500 (punishment for defamation).

"During the course of inquiry, initial technical analysis of the alleged YouTube Channel was received, which revealed that the alleged person is involved in generating and disseminating posts and videos related to anti-state, consisting of fake news and public incitement agenda," the FIR stated.

"He has [been] continuously disseminating and uploading posts and videos related to anti-state, consist of fake news and public incitement agenda, thereby causing harm to the reputation of public institutes on an international level which acts on his part constitute the commission of the offence."

Previously in the case, a local court dismissed his bail plea on March 28, which was then challenged in a district and sessions court.

Mallick was sent to jail on judicial remand on March 25 after a court rejected the FIA's request for an extension in physical remand. After the expiry of his four-day physical remand, the FIA presented the senior journalist before the judicial magistrate (East), seeking an extension to the remand. However, the court rejected the FIA's request for his physical remand and instead sent Mallick to jail on judicial remand.