Pakistani court denies extended remand for journalist Farhan Mallick, sets bail hearing

A Pakistani court on Tuesday ordered prominent journalist Farhan Mallick to be transferred to judicial custody, denying federal investigators' request to extend his physical remand.

Mallick, the founder of the digital news platform Raftar, appeared before the Judicial Magistrate East in Karachi, who rejected the Federal Investigation Agency's (FIA) request for an extension of his physical remand after he had already spent four days in custody. The court scheduled a hearing on his bail application for March 27.

The proceedings drew significant attention from Pakistan's media community, with numerous journalists and news anchors gathering at the courthouse in a show of solidarity with Mallick, whose arrest last Thursday sparked renewed worries about press freedom in Pakistan.

During the hearing, the investigation officer claimed Mallick had posted "anti-state videos" on his YouTube channel Raftar. When pressed by the magistrate to display the allegedly offending content, the officer responded that they have "more material" but did not present specific evidence in court.

"Farhan Mallick is a journalist," his lawyer Abdul Moiz Jafrii emphasized to the court, while also questioning the nature of the complaint against his client. When the magistrate inquired about who filed the case, Jafrii indicated that government "officials" were behind the complaint.

The court showed concern about potential mistreatment, asking Mallick if he had "been beaten or harassed" during his four days in FIA custody. While Mallick himself did not report abuse, he told the magistrate that "our staff is being harassed," prompting the judge to warn the investigation officer that harassment allegations would result in a show cause notice.

Mallick's news organization previously reported that FIA officials had raided their office without explanation the day before his arrest and summoned him to their headquarters where he was detained after a five-hour wait.

The case comes amid growing tensions between Pakistan's government and independent media outlets. Press freedom advocates have expressed concern about the use of the country's Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) to target journalists critical of authorities, though official charges against Mallick have not been publicly detailed.

Judicial remand typically indicates the investigation phase requiring direct police access to the accused has concluded, though the prosecution continues. Mallick will remain in jail until at least March 27, when the court considers his bail application.