Farhan Mallick, the founder of the digital media platform Raftar, was reportedly arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in Karachi on Thursday evening.
“Yesterday evening, FIA officials raided Raftar’s office without notice, harassed the team, and summoned Mr. Farhan Mallick for a hearing today at 1 PM. Despite complying and waiting for hours, he was arrested at 6 PM without explanation,” Rafter YouTube channel said in a post.
“This act threatens press freedom and independent journalism. Raftar demands clarity on Mr. Mallick’s arrest and urges protection for journalists against unjust harassment,’ the statement added.
In early December, Mr. Mallick was removed from a Dubai-bound flight by the FIA and detained for 5.5 hours at Karachi airport’s immigration office.
In November 2024, the FIA’s Cyber Crime Cell accused Siyasat.pk and Raftar of an “anti-state campaign on social media” and summoned their owners, Adeel Habib and Farhan Gauhar Mallick, for a hearing on November 20. The notice warned that non-attendance would imply guilt.
