LAHORE: In what rights advocates are calling a troubling new tactic to silence dissent, Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has been freezing bank accounts allegedly tied to “anti-state” activity—without prior notice or due process. Critics warn this approach is being used to target independent journalists and those merely associated with them.
Sixty-year-old Nadeem Nasir, a bird seller from Lahore, found his bank account frozen in early April after repeated failed transactions. When he approached his bank, he was told that the freeze had been ordered by the FIA’s Cyber Crime Wing in Islamabad. The bank refused to provide any documentation or justification.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Nasir said in a phone interview. “I sell parrots—what crime have I committed?”
After days of trying to reach FIA offices, Nasir finally spoke with an official in Lahore who asked if he had any connection to a journalist based in Islamabad. Nasir confirmed he had sold birds to him—but that was the extent of their relationship.
That journalist, known for his reporting critical of state institutions, discovered the next day that both his and his mother’s bank accounts had also been frozen—again, with no warning. He has previously faced arrest, physical assaults, and accusations of running a “malicious” social media campaign against the judiciary.
In May, the Islamabad High Court ordered the restoration of the journalist’s account, calling the FIA’s actions a “blatant violation of fundamental rights.” The court found that no prior notice had been given, nor was any opportunity for defense offered. A brief FIA document submitted during the hearing cited an ongoing probe into “anti-state and anti-government posts,” claiming to investigate potential links to money laundering or terrorism—without offering concrete evidence.
“This is not a legal investigation. It’s intimidation, plain and simple,” said Zainab Janjua, the journalist’s lawyer. She dismissed the allegations as baseless and politically motivated.
While the journalist’s accounts were eventually restored, Nasir’s remain inaccessible months later. He is not alone.
Others who had dealings with the same journalist have also been affected. Atif Sajjad Raza, a media producer, and Rozi Khan, another bird seller, also had their bank accounts frozen without any official notice. Raza told the court he was asked to sign an affidavit disavowing the journalist’s political views to have his account reinstated.
Another Islamabad-based journalist reported that the accounts of his wife and sister were frozen in April. He, too, had faced repeated arrests and charges over his reporting. According to him, the FIA never provided formal notice—only vague verbal references to a money laundering investigation. His accounts were eventually restored through legal intervention.
The National Cybercrime Investigation Agency, which took over from the FIA in April, has not issued a public response. Despite repeated inquiries by The News, senior officials promised statements that never materialized.
International watchdogs have raised alarm. Reporters Without Borders has consistently ranked Pakistan among the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists. Local rights groups are also sounding the alarm.
“This appears to be part of a systematic campaign to exhaust and isolate independent journalists,” said Iqbal Khattak, Executive Director of the Islamabad-based Freedom Network. “Freezing accounts is just the latest tool in this pressure campaign.”
Meanwhile, Nasir struggles to manage his household. With his wife undergoing cancer treatment and facing his own medical bills, he has been forced to rely on others to handle financial transactions.
“What law did I break?” he asked. “Why am I being punished for something I didn’t do?”
