wasiqjaved
Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
I’m Farhan Mallick the Founder of @raftardotcom and this is what happened with me today:
Whilst attempting to travel to Doha on Fly Dubai flight FZ336 scheduled for 4:25 PM today, I checked in and was initially cleared through the FIA immigration counter at the Jinnah international airport in karachi but was subsequently called back and detained in a back room at the Karachi airport immigration office for 5.5 hours.
At first, my passport was taken away. Shortly thereafter, my phone was also confiscated. Despite repeatedly inquiring, no explanation for my detention or the confiscations was provided.
After the flight departed, I was instructed to write a letter to the DG Immigration and Passports requesting the removal of my name from the PNIL (Provisional National Identification List). I have no prior intimation of being on any such list.
This detention was wholly arbitrary and violated my rights.
I have already been the subject of two inquiries from the FIA last month, both of which claimed to be investigations into the content of my YouTube platform @raftar.
I sought protection from the Sindh High Court, which was gracious enough to restrain the authorities from taking any coercive action against me or from harassing me.
During My detention when I was told to submit the PNIL removal request upon which I requested my phone so that I could seek advice of legal counsel, but this was denied and I was made to wait another hour before being addressed.
I am posting this here for the record.
#journalismisnotacrime
