 detained Pakistani journalist Farhan Mallick, the CEO and founder of Raftar, on Thursday.){kind=link}
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) detained Pakistani journalist Farhan Mallick, the CEO and founder of Raftar, on Thursday. His son posted the news on social media site X, stating that FIA officials raided Mallick’s office on Wednesday evening. They harassed him and his staff without giving any reason for their presence.
When Mallick showed up at the FIA office on Thursday, he spent hours waiting without any explanation. At 6 PM, officials arrested him without giving any reason. This arrest has raised concerns about Pakistan’s handling of independent journalists.
Why Was Mallick Arrested?
The FIA had been probing Pakistani Journalist Farhan Mallick for three months, according to local media. Shahzad Haider, Additional Director of the FIA’s Cyber Crime Reporting Center, blamed Mallick for operating “several programmes against the security establishment.” The arrest allegedly followed the end of that investigation.
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Raftar, Mallick’s web-based news portal with more than 749,000 YouTube subscribers, covers social issues and criticizes government and military policies. Its aggressive reporting style has won it a huge following but also unwanted attention.
Outrage Over Press Freedom
Raftar was critical of Mallick’s arrest. The platform issued a statement terming the act as outright intimidation of independent journalism. It called for an immediate explanation and safety for media workers against unfair harassment.
Unfortunately, Mallick’s case isn’t an isolated incident. Pakistan has faced repeated criticism for its treatment of journalists. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) recently ranked Pakistan as the 12th-worst country for press freedom in South Asia. Since 1992, 103 journalists and media workers have been killed in the country.
A Troubling Pattern
Pakistan’s government has enacted laws purportedly to protect data and privacy. However, most think that these laws are primarily used to muzzle opposition and silence journalists.
Farhan Mallick’s arrest is just the latest addition to the long list of journalists being harassed and censored. The world will be watching to see how Pakistan treats this case and if the authorities will finally do something about such persistent problems.
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