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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested Raftar founder Farhan Mallick in Karachi on March 20, 2025, in connection with videos on the digital outlet’s YouTube channel, according to Dawn. The reported “anti-state” allegations were not findings of guilt: Pakistan Press Foundation said a magistrate acquitted Mallick in that case on January 18, 2026. A separate inquiry reported in August 2026 remains a distinct matter, with its later status not established by the available reporting.
Why did the FIA arrest Raftar founder Farhan Mallick?
Dawn reported that FIA officers arrested journalist and Raftar founder Farhan Mallick in Karachi on March 20, 2025, over videos published on Raftar’s YouTube platform. FIA Cybercrime Reporting Centre Additional Director Shahzad Haider told Dawn that an inquiry had begun about three months earlier and said Mallick had run “several programmes against the security establishment.” That was the official’s characterization of the allegation, not an established finding.
Dawn also reported Raftar’s account: officials came to its office without notice, summoned Mallick, and arrested him after he had waited for hours. Raftar said, “Raftar stands for truth, accountability, and the right to report freely without fear.” That statement reflects the outlet’s position.
What charges were reported, and what did they mean?
In a March 25, 2025 report, Dawn said Mallick had been booked under sections 16, 20 and 26-A of Pakistan’s Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016, and sections 500 and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code. The case was reported as alleging “anti-state” content on Raftar’s YouTube channel. These were reported charges and allegations; they should not be treated as proof of wrongdoing or as a court’s finding.
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How did the anti-state-content case end?
Dawn reported on March 25, 2025, that Mallick had been placed on a 14-day judicial remand after an earlier period in FIA custody. Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) later reported that a Karachi judicial magistrate acquitted him on January 18, 2026, in the case alleging he uploaded anti-state content.
According to PPF’s account of the written order, the magistrate found the prosecution had failed to establish “any specific allegation in such alleged video which can be termed as anti-state and was used to harm/damage the reputation of any individual”. This is PPF’s reproduction of the order’s reasoning; the primary order itself is not cited here.
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What is the separate NCCIA inquiry reported in August 2026?
Journalism Pakistan reported on August 19, 2026, that the Sindh High Court restrained the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) from taking coercive action against Mallick and Raftar social media head and content producer Hafiz Minhaj Afzal in a separate online-defamation and harassment inquiry. The court also sought replies from the agency, according to the report.
This inquiry is not the anti-state-content case that ended in Mallick’s reported acquittal. The August report describes an interim restraint and request for replies, not a final decision. The subsequent status and full terms of the court’s order are not established by the available reporting.
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The International Federation of Journalists describes Raftar as an independent digital media platform launched in Karachi in 2022. In a report dated March 25, 2025, IFJ said it had more than 760,000 YouTube subscribers over three years. That is a historical figure from the report, not a verified current subscriber count.
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