• Farhan Mallick faces case registered under PECA.
• Journalist accused of spreading anti-state content.
• Was imprisoned under judicial custody in the said case.

Karachi: A local court approved the bail request from journalist Farhan Mallick on Monday, who has been in legal custody, which relates to a case registered under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Prevention (PECA) for allegedly spread anti-state content.

The court, which provided bail to Mallick, ordered him to submit a bail bond worth RS100,000.

The journalist, a former news director for a private TV channel, was originally taken into custody by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on March 20 for alleged violation of PECA and involvement in defamation.

Apart from the PECA case, the court also approved Mallick’s bail in a case related to his alleged involvement in the operation of an illegal call center responsible for stealing data from foreigners and fraudsters.

The court ordered him to give a bail of RS100,000 to his bail in this case as well.

The disputed PECA law was recently changed, and journalistic bodies across the country have protested against the law and dubbed it an attempt to trick freedom of speech and scare news people and their media.

A FIR was filed against him under several sections of PECA, read with Section 190 of the Pakistan Criminal Code (punishment for abetment if the law has come as a result and where no express provision is made of its punishment) and 500 (punishment for defamation).

“During the study, the first technical analysis of the alleged YouTube channel was received, which revealed that the alleged person is involved in generating and conveying posts and videos related to anti-state, consisting of fake news and public sustaining agenda,” FIR said.

“He has it [been] Continuous dissemination and uploading of submissions and videos related to anti-state consists of fake news and public incidental agenda, thereby causing damage to public institutes’ reputation at international level, which operates from his side constitutes the commission of the violation. “

Earlier in the case, a local court rejected his guarantee-pleasing on March 28, which was then challenged in a district and sessions.

Mallick was sent to Jail on Judgment on March 25, after a court rejected FIA’s request for an extension in physical custody.

After the expiry of his four-day physical custody, the FIA ​​presented the senior journalist for the legal magistrate (East) and sought an extension to the custody.

However, the Court rejected FIA’s request for his physical custody and instead sent Mallick to jail on court decision.