PPP Human Rights Cell condemns the arrest of Farhan Mallick of Raftar Media in Karachi, demands his release and transparent investigations into the matter. In a statement today president human rights cell of the PPP former senator Farhatullah Babar said that state agencies arrest innocent citizens on whimsical, vague, and unsubstantiated allegations of ‘anti state’ propaganda. Once arrested the accused is then rigorously punished through abuse of judicial process involving harassment, intimidation and mental torture in custody and delaying court proceedings before eventually proven innocent and released. This unfortunately has been almost a standard operating procedure with the FIA to stifle dissent and freedom of expression during the past decade since PECA was promulgated in 2016, he said. “The reason for this deeply worrying practice is that the investigation agency (FIA) does not submit 6-monthly reports to the parliament for scrutiny and discussion as mandated under the PECA law.” Farhatullah Babar urged the parliament to ensure that the FIA complies with section 53 of the Act and regularly submit reports to the eparliament. He said there is ruling of the chairman senate on the type of information to be given in these reports, procedure for laying it, and the discussions in the parliament on it. Demanding the immediate release of Mr. Mallick, he called for respecting the citizens’ right to freedom of expression and the right to information guaranteed in the constitution as well as international covenants signed by the state.