FIA arrests journalist Farhan Mallick, charges unclear

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Thursday detained journalist Farhan Mallick over the content of his YouTube videos.

Mallick, the founder of Raftar, a social media platform that describes itself as a “dynamic outlet aimed at fostering social change through storytelling,” previously served as the news director at Samaa TV.

According to FIA Cyber Crime Reporting Centre Additional Director Shahzad Haider, an investigation into Mallick had been under way for around three months.

When asked about the specific charges against Mallick, Haider stated that he had aired “multiple programmes critical of the security establishment.” He further noted that Mallick was arrested after an inquiry had been concluded.

Meanwhile, Mallick’s wife told the media that no formal charge sheet had been presented against her husband, nor had any clear explanation been provided for his arrest.

“We have not been given a First Information Report (FIR), nor have we been informed of the charges against Mallick,” she said. “All we know is that he is detained at the FIA cybercrime office in Gulistan-i-Johar.”

She added that Mallick had voluntarily gone to the FIA for a “discussion” but was kept waiting for hours without anyone attending to him.

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“We assumed it was just a meeting, as there was no indication that he was under investigation,” she said. “After waiting for several hours, we were suddenly informed that he was under arrest. I have no idea why.”

“The content we produce is publicly available; we don’t use any confidential information,” she added.

Mallick’s son posted on X that FIA officers had “forcefully entered” his father’s office without giving any reason for their presence.

“They harassed him and his team, failed to clarify the purpose of their visit, and demanded that he report to their office today at 1pm for questioning,” the post read.

His son further stated that Mallick arrived at the FIA office at 1pm as instructed but was taken into custody around 6pm, with “no explanation, no justification, and no reasoning.”

“I’m not sure what crime my father is being accused of—because there isn’t one. He’s a journalist who believes in the truth, holds power accountable, and gives a voice to the people,” he wrote.

“Is that now a crime? Is free journalism punishable?”

Raftar also issued a statement on X, claiming that FIA agents had unexpectedly visited their office the previous day and verbally instructed Mallick to attend a hearing at 1pm.

“Mallick complied and arrived at the designated office on time. However, after being kept waiting for hours without any explanation, he was arrested at 6pm,” the statement read.

The Raftar team further alleged that they had been harassed by FIA personnel.

“Raftar stands for truth, accountability, and the freedom to report without fear,” the statement continued. “The lack of transparency in this case raises grave concerns about press freedom and the suppression of independent voices.”

The platform demanded immediate clarification regarding Mallick’s arrest and called for greater protections for journalists and media professionals against unjust harassment.

Senior anchorperson Shahzad Iqbal spoke highly of Mallick, describing him as “a reliable journalist and a professional who always kept a low profile and focused on presenting the news without ulterior motives.”

“This is yet another shameful act of targeting and suppressing free speech,” Iqbal added in a post on X.