- Journalist Mallick is accused of having violated Peca’s law.
- He was arrested by FIA on March 20.
- Journalists’ organizations protest against disputed law.
Karachi: A local court rejected Friday the advocacy of release under bond of the journalist Farhan Mallick in the case concerning the alleged violation of the Act on the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (PECA).
The judicial magistrate (east) heard the application for deposit filed by the journalist, who was arrested for having allegedly widespread anti-state content.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) placed the journalist in police custody on March 20 for having allegedly raped the PECA and an implication in defamation.
The controversial law of the PECA has been recently modified, and the organizations of journalists across the country protested against the law, on the attempt to gap freedom of expression and to intimidate the newspapers and their media.
A FIR was filed against Mallick under several sections of the PECA law read with article 190 of Pakistan Penal Code (punishment of accounting if the law encouraged is committed accordingly and when no express provision is made for its punishment) and 500 (defamation punishment).
The FIR mentioned that Mallick, who worked for a private news channel as a news director and now has a YouTube channel, would have been involved in the dissemination of anti-state content.
“During (i) Nquiry, an initial technical analysis of the alleged YouTube channel was received, which revealed that the alleged person was involved in the generation and dissemination of publications and videos related to the anti-state, made up of false news and public incentive agenda,” said the FIR.
“There was (has been) a broadcast and download and videos and videos related to the anti-state, consist of false news and the agenda of incentive to the public, thus causing prejudice to the reputation of public institutes on an international level which acts on his part constitutes the commission of an offense.”
The local judicial hearing took place one day after the administration of the Mallick YouTube channel said that the FIA had made a descent into the journalist’s office, entering its computer and its USB reader.
The administration said that the RAID was not part of routine surveys, but an attack on press freedom.
On March 25, a local court sent Mallick to prison in pre -trial detention, rejecting the request for extension of the FIA in pre -trial detention.
After the expiration of her four -day pre -trial detention, the FIA had presented the main journalist before the judicial magistrate (east), requesting an extension of the pre -trial detention.
However, the court rejected the FIA request for its pre -trial detention and rather sent to Mallick – who worked for a private news channel as a director and now has a YouTube channel – in prison in pre -trial detention.
Mallick’s is not the first arrest under the modified law of Peca. On March 19, Rawalpindi police recorded the first case under PECA against a Pakistani activist Tehreek-e-insaf (PTI) for the disinformation of disinformation and negative propaganda.
The case was filed following a social media position which would have been based on disinformation. According to a police spokesman, the suspect, identified as Muhammad Rehan, was arrested for having published inappropriate content online.