KARACHI, March 20, 2025 – A local court in Karachi has granted the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) five-day physical remand of journalist Farhan Mallick in a call centre fraud case.
Mallick, who was previously under FIA custody for spreading anti-state content, was due to be sent to judicial remand after completing a four-day physical remand in the initial case. However, instead of being transferred to jail, he was arrested in a new case on March 20.
Allegations Against Mallick
- FIA’s Call Centre Raid
- The FIA conducted a raid on a call centre in Karachi.
- The agency claimed that employees were involved in stealing financial data from foreign nationals.
- Two suspects, Syed Muhammad Atir Hussain and Hasan Najeeb Alam, were arrested.
- They allegedly stated that the call centre was operating under Mallick’s orders.
- Fraudulent Operations
- The suspects were allegedly involved in stealing confidential credit card data through spoofed calls and impersonation.
- Employees used Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) software to call foreigners, posing as representatives from Visa and Mastercard.
- They lured victims by claiming to lower interest rates on loans, then obtained sensitive financial details.
- FIA’s Case Against Mallick
- One of the arrested suspects reportedly claimed that Mallick patronized the call centre’s operations.
- An FIR was filed under sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).
- The FIA previously detained Mallick for violating PECA laws and alleged defamation.
- The controversial PECA law, recently amended, has been widely criticized by journalist bodies as an attempt to stifle press freedom.
Court Proceedings and Legal Challenges
- Judicial Magistrate Malir-I approved five-day FIA custody for Mallick in the new case.
- Mallick’s lawyer, Advocate Moiz Jafri, called the FIA’s actions arbitrary and unlawful, stating:
- The FIA ignored court orders requiring Mallick’s transfer to judicial remand.
- His family searched multiple prisons but could not locate him.
- The new case was registered, and Mallick was arrested within a single day, suggesting fabrication of charges.
Jafri contended that Mallick was being targeted unfairly, and the FIA was deliberately delaying court procedures to extend his detention.
Conclusion
Farhan Mallick’s arrest has raised concerns about press freedom, especially as the PECA law continues to be used against journalists. The FIA maintains that his detention is linked to financial fraud and anti-state content, but his legal team argues that the case is a tactic to silence dissent. The court’s decision on his further custody after five days will be closely watched.
