Karachi (Web Desk): A District and Sessions Court in Karachi on Monday granted bail to journalist Farhan Mallick, who had been charged under Pakistan's Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) for allegedly disseminating anti-state content.
The bail was granted by District and Sessions Judge (East) Chaudhry Wasim Iqbal after hearing the arguments presented by Mallick's counsel, who contended that the prosecution had failed to produce any substantial evidence despite the considerable time that had elapsed since the case was filed.
The defense lawyer, Moez Jafri, argued that the case lacked merit, and that the evidence presented, including mere screenshots, was insufficient to substantiate the charges against Mallick.
Meanwhile, Judicial Magistrate Piyar Ali Khoso, overseeing the case related to an illegal call center operation, also granted Mallick bail.
The bail in both cases was approved against surety bonds of Rs100,000 each.
The charges under PECA and the allegations regarding the call center had earlier led to Mallick's arrest by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in Karachi last month. Despite the FIA's efforts, the court had issued a second notice to the agency on April 3, indicating the continued judicial scrutiny over the ongoing investigations.
