Latest news with #AsadAliToor
Mint
19-07-2025
- Business
- Mint
Pakistan punishes parrot sellers for selling birds to a journalist they don't like: No, this is not a joke
Rozi Khan from Karachi found his bank account blocked. The bank said it was linked to his dealings with journalist Asad Ali Toor, who had bought parrots from him. Khan was left confused and upset. The 29-year-old bird seller learnt the account was closed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). 'Why would they suspend my account for dealing with a customer who just happens to be a journalist?' wondered Khan while speaking to Al Jazeera. But, he is not the only one. In cities like Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Sargodha in Pakistan, bird sellers face the same problem. Their bank accounts are being closed after they sell birds to Toor. Nadeem Nasir, a 60-year-old businessman from Lahore, learned that his account had been shut. He last sold parrots to Toor in early 2024 but received no warning. 'It was only after I managed to get in touch with some FIA officials through my contacts that they asked me about my relationship with Toor. That's when I realised what had happened,' he told the publication. Asad Ali Toor is a journalist and YouTuber from Islamabad. The 40-year-old is known for speaking openly against the government, courts and Pakistan Army. The FIA blocked bank accounts linked to Toor, including those of his family. 'I only found out about the account suspension after my cousin told me his account had been frozen due to transactions with me,' Toor told the publication. 'As I looked into it, I discovered that my own account along with those of my family and even my bird sellers had been locked without any prior warning or notification from the bank or the FIA,' he added. He has 3.35 lakh YouTube subscribers and over 3.55 lakh followers on X (formerly Twitter). In 2021, unknown men attacked him at home. He believes they were from military intelligence. He was arrested again in 2024 for posting 'anti-state' content online. The YouTuber stayed in jail for 18 days. Recently, his YouTube channel was listed among 27 channels to be banned for similar reasons. A court later cancelled the suspension. Toor is known for his love for birds. He spends over 50,000 Pakistani rupees ( ₹ 15,000) each month to care for his parrots. He pays for this hobby using money earned from his online work. For over a month, Toor had no access to his bank money, and he depended on friends for help. In May, a court told the FIA to restore his account. The FIA claimed they were checking for 'anti-state income' and money laundering. However, according to the court, Toor's rights were denied. His account has now been restored, but his family's accounts remain blocked.
News18
18-07-2025
- Business
- News18
Only In Pakistan: Journalist Criticises Government But Parrot Sellers Pay The Price
Last Updated: The issue first surfaced in April when 29-year-old parrot seller Rozi Khan, based in Karachi, discovered his bank account had been shut down Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has frozen the bank accounts of prominent independent journalist Asad Ali Toor and multiple bird sellers nationwide over transactions connected to parrot sales. The issue first surfaced in April when 29-year-old parrot seller Rozi Khan, based in Karachi, discovered his bank account had been shut down. After completing a routine sale in Islamabad, he tried to withdraw money but received an 'Invalid bank account" message at the ATM. His bank manager later informed him that the account was frozen on 10 April under an FIA directive, Pakistan-based The Friday Times reported. 'I sell birds to all sorts of people," Rozi told the outlet. 'I had no idea that selling parrots to a journalist could lead to this." The freezes are not limited to Rozi. Sellers in Lahore, Sargodha, Rawalpindi, and other cities have also found their accounts blocked after trading with Toor. One such seller, 60-year-old businessman Nadeem Nasir from Lahore, said that his account was frozen without warning after a cheque unexpectedly bounced, Al Jazeera reported. When he contacted FIA officials, they questioned him about Asad Ali Toor. 'I have known Asad for the last five years and have developed good relations with him," Nasir said. 'But the last time he purchased parrots from me was in 2023 and early 2024. Since then, there has been no business transaction between us." Asad Ali Toor is a well-known YouTuber and outspoken critic of the government, boasting over 335,000 subscribers. He has a noted passion for rare parrots and reportedly spends over Rs 50,000 per month on their care. While Toor's bank accounts, along with those of his parents, brother, and cousin, were frozen, sellers who have dealt with him also suffered similar restrictions. Toor learned of the bank freeze after a cousin alerted him. 'It's not just me," he said. 'Even people who sold me birds are being punished. It's absurd." Neither the FIA nor other Pakistani authorities have publicly commented on the matter or announced any formal charges related to the freezes. Notably, Toor's YouTube channel was targeted for suspension earlier this year, along with 26 others, for 'anti-state" content — though a sessions court reversed that suspension two days later. view comments Location : Pakistan Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Al Jazeera
17-07-2025
- Business
- Al Jazeera
How selling parrots to a Pakistani journalist led to a locked bank account
Islamabad, Pakistan – Rozi Khan, a 29-year-old bird seller from Karachi, was on a business trip to Islamabad in April when he discovered he could not access his bank account. After completing a sale with a customer, he tried to withdraw money from an ATM, only to be met with the message: 'Invalid bank account'. Alarmed, Khan took the next available flight back home and rushed to speak to his bank manager. He was shocked to discover that the account, which he had been using for his bird-selling business for 10 years, had been shut down on April 10 on the orders of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), without any explanation. Khan managed to speak to an FIA official on the phone after being given a number to call by his bank manager. After asking about Khan's recent business transactions, the official posed a puzzling question: What was his relationship with Asad Ali Toor, a journalist and avid collector of rare parrots? 'I did not understand the question at first. I sell birds to people from every walk of life – lawyers, military officers, anyone,' Khan told Al Jazeera. 'I sold parrots to Asad as well. Why would they suspend my account for dealing with a customer who just happens to be a journalist?' A ripple effect across cities In Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Sargodha and other cities, the same question has been echoing in the minds of other people, particularly bird sellers, who have conducted business with Toor and then found themselves locked out of their bank accounts. Nadeem Nasir, a 60-year-old businessman in Lahore who has sold birds in the past, including to Toor, discovered his account had been closed on April 10 when a cheque he wrote to an associate bounced. 'I have known Asad for the last five years and have developed good relations with him. But the last time he purchased parrots from me was in 2023 and early 2024. Since then, there has been no business transaction between us,' Nasir told Al Jazeera. Like Khan, Nasir said he received no notification that his account had been closed from either the FIA or the bank. When he finally spoke to someone at the FIA, he, too, was questioned about his connection to Toor. 'It was only after I managed to get in touch with some FIA officials through my contacts that they asked me about my relationship with Toor. That's when I realised what had happened,' he said. Toor, 40, is an Islamabad-based independent journalist and vlogger, who has earned a reputation for his outspoken opinions. He runs a popular YouTube channel and is well known for his critical analysis of the government, judiciary and Pakistan's powerful military establishment, which has ruled the country directly for more than three decades and continues to wield enormous influence. He also collects birds. A journalist with a passion for parrots Among the many bank accounts blocked by the FIA were those of Toor himself as well as of his father, mother, brother and a cousin who helped him run his YouTube channel. This wasn't Toor's first run-in with the authorities. He has been running his YouTube channel for the past five years, attracting 335,000 subscribers while more than 355,000 people follow him on X. In 2021 while the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was in power, Toor was attacked by unknown people at his home in Islamabad. He said he believed his assailants were members of the military intelligence service, which has been accused by rights groups of involvement in disappearances and extrajudicial killings in the past. At the time, the military's media wing did not comment after questions about the allegation. In February 2024, Toor was arrested on charges of orchestrating a 'malicious campaign' against the state through social media. He was released after 18 days in custody. Then last week, Toor's YouTube channel was among 27 Pakistani channels that authorities sought to suspend for 'anti-state' content. Although a magistrate initially approved the suspension, a sessions court reversed the order two days later. Toor's passion for rare parrots is well known. He owns several dozen birds and spends more than 50,000 rupees ($175) each month on their care, a hobby he funds through his online earnings. 'I only found out about the account suspension after my cousin told me his account had been frozen due to transactions with me,' Toor told Al Jazeera. 'As I looked into it, I discovered that my own account along with those of my family and even my bird sellers had been locked without any prior warning or notification from the bank or the FIA.' Legal fight for access For more than a month, Toor had no access to his funds and has been forced to rely on friends for financial support. Finally in May, the Islamabad High Court issued an order in response to a petition he had lodged, ordering that his bank account be restored. When Judge Khadim Hussain Soomro asked the FIA to justify the freeze, the agency submitted a one-page reply stating it needed to investigate Toor's income, allegedly earned through 'anti-state, anti-government posts' on social media. The statement further claimed that the agency was examining potential 'traces of money laundering and terror funding' through 'various bank channels'. But the court ruled Toor had been denied due process, the action, therefore, was unlawful and ordered the FIA to restore the journalist's account. The bank accounts of Toor's family members, however, remain blocked. Zainab Janjua, Toor's lawyer, said it took her more than a week to get her client's account unblocked after the ruling. 'The court order clearly stated that the accounts should be unblocked immediately, but the banks refused to comply until they had received written confirmation from the FIA,' she told Al Jazeera. Eventually, Janjua's colleague and Toor went to the bank and threatened contempt proceedings, after which the account was unlocked. 'The bank manager was named in our petition. We warned them that if the account wasn't restored, they'd face contempt of court charges. Only then did they comply,' she said. The FIA did not respond formally to questions from Al Jazeera, but an FIA official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Al Jazeera that the investigation into Toor was necessary due to what he called 'unusual' financial activity. 'Asad Toor has spent millions of rupees on parrots, and his only income appears to be from YouTube. Is that not strange?' the official said. He added that under antimoney-laundering laws, the FIA is authorised to investigate any financial dealings that appear suspicious. 'Our goal was to question these individuals, including Toor and his associates, and understand what's happening. That's why we froze the accounts,' he said. However, the official declined to explain why no prior notice was issued to any of the affected individuals. He said those affected should write to the FIA after court orders to unblock their accounts if they want them reopened. Journalists in the line of fire Another journalist known for his critical stance towards the state is Matiullah Jan, who is in his 50s and also lives in Islamabad, where he hosts a show on the news channel Neo News and also runs his own YouTube channel, MJTv. He underwent a similar ordeal in April when the accounts of his wife and sister as well as his own were frozen. Jan has previously been harassed and arrested on various charges. Last year, he was detained by the police on drug charges, which he denied, before eventually being cleared by a court. His YouTube channel was one of the 27 flagged by authorities last week along with Toor's. Jan said he also received no formal notice from the FIA that his account was being frozen. He only learned about the account closures through a verbal message from his bank. 'My sister's account was restored after my lawyer brother intervened. My wife's account was unblocked a month later only after the bank couldn't produce any written suspension order,' Jan told Al Jazeera. Waiting for justice Nasir and Khan, the bird sellers, took their case to court in Islamabad as well. On July 3, a court ruled in favour of both of them and ordered their bank accounts to be reopened. Nasir finally managed to get access to his account on July 5, more than two months after it had been suspended. 'Thankfully, I could still rely on my children for help. But my main concern was paying for my wife's cancer medication. It's deeply frustrating how easily the state can punish someone without explanation or apology,' Nasir said. In Karachi, Khan hasn't been as fortunate. Despite the court order, he said he still cannot access his account. He said the suspension is hurting his business because he now has to rely on his brothers to facilitate transactions. His customers, he said, often seem suspicious about why he can't provide details of a personal bank account. 'The government wants us to go cashless, to operate digitally and then shuts our accounts without explanation. What do I tell my customers? That doing business with another customer got my account frozen?' a frustrated Khan asked. Silencing the news media Pakistan remains one of the most restrictive countries in terms of news media freedom as journalists face constant threats to their security and livelihoods. In its latest report, Human Rights Watch said journalists in Pakistan 'faced intimidation, harassment, and digital and physical surveillance for perceived criticism of the government'. In the news media freedom rankings compiled by Reporters Without Borders in May, Pakistan dropped by five levels from number 152 to 158 out of 180 countries. Farieha Aziz, a rights activist, said journalists are increasingly being targeted via legal tools and state agencies like the FIA. 'This is about using the legal system to wear people down, dragging them into courts, forcing them to hire lawyers. It's nothing short of legal harassment and a culture of collective punishment,' she told Al Jazeera. Khan, who is still awaiting restoration of his account, said he holds no grudge against Toor but wants to know what crime he's being punished for. 'Does this mean if I talk to someone the state doesn't like, they can freeze my account? At least tell me what I did wrong. Issue a notice to me if you want. But you can't punish me silently when I've done nothing,' he said.
Business Recorder
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
PPF expresses alarm over ban on 27 YouTube channels
KARACHI: The Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) expressed alarm over an Islamabad court's order to block 27 YouTube channels, which are operated by journalists, commentators, and political voices on allegations of spreading 'provocative and derogatory contents against state institutions and officials of state of Pakistan'. PPF urged the court to reconsider such a mass blanket ban. We urge the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) and relevant authorities to respect due process and constitutional guarantees when handling digital content. PPF notes with alarm that the process of blocking these channels was initiated without giving the affected individuals the right to respond, raising concerns about transparency, due process, and the chilling effect on freedom of expression online. PPF reiterates that while the state may have need to address disinformation, any such action must be transparent, proportional, and respectful of fundamental rights. The unilateral silencing of critical voices through opaque legal processes threatens the democratic values of accountability and freedom of expression. An order from the Court of the Judicial Magistrate NCCIA Islamabad in response to an enquiry dated June 2, 2025, listed the names of 27 YouTube channels. These included channels operated by prominent journalists such as Matiullah Jan, Asad Ali Toor, and Ahmad Noorani; political commentators like Imran Riaz Khan, Siddique Jan, and Sabir Shakir; the official channel of the opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and its founder, Imran Khan; as well as several others. The written order stated that the content on these channels constitutes offences punishable under the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act and other penal laws of Pakistan. It directed the Head or Officer In-Charge of the Security Department / Custodian of Records at Google LLC to block and remove the specified YouTube channels. According to news channel, an NCCIA sub-inspector had informed the judicial magistrate in Islamabad that under PECA, they were conducting an enquiry into 'YouTube channels who are involved in disseminating and propagating fake and misleading information against the state Institutions which is likely to cause fear, panic, disorder or unrest in the general public or society along with defamatory and fake remarks/information, which violates the privacy and harms the dignity of the officials of state institutions.' He said that they were found sharing 'highly intimidating, provocative and derogatory contents against state institutions and officials of state of Pakistan,' a 'source of publicly disseminating/propagating false, misleading and fake information against the state institutions/officials.' He said the suspects had 'attempted to provoke the general public and armed forces personnel by trying to create a feeling of ill-will among pillars of the state,' the channel reported. YouTube has begun notifying affected channel owners. A notice sent to journalist Asad Toor stated: 'We have received a legal removal request citing the court order dated 24 June 2025 in Enquiry No. 717/2025, seeking blocking of your channel [… ] A copy of the court order is attached for your reference. You may choose to act on the said content in terms of the aforesaid court order. If you fail to do so, as per our local law obligations, we may comply with the request without further notice to you.' The Press Association of the Supreme Court of Pakistan strongly condemned the move, describing it as a violation of constitutional rights. The Association stated that journalists were denied a fair hearing and described the order as a form of 'economic strangulation.' The statement called on the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take immediate notice. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said they were greatly concerned by the court directive, which they said came following a complaint by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).'The wholesale blocking of entire channels—rather than addressing specific instances of unlawful or hateful speech in accordance with due process—conflates dissent with criminal activity,' HRCP said. The FIA issued a statement that news reports that the judicial magistrate's order to the FIA to close the YouTube channels was 'completely baseless and inaccurate,' adding that the NCCIA was now fully operational and the court order was issued on NCCIA's request. Currently, most of the YouTube channels remain accessible in Pakistan. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pakistan outlaws disinformation with 3-year jail term
Pakistan criminalised online disinformation on Tuesday, passing legislation dictating punishments of up to three years in jail and prompting journalist protests accusing the government of quashing dissent. The law targets anyone who "intentionally disseminates" information online that they have "reason to believe to be false or fake and likely to cause or create a sense of fear, panic or disorder or unrest". It was rushed through the National Assembly with little warning last week before being approved by the Senate on Tuesday as reporters walked out of the gallery in protest. Pakistan media workers have reported rising state censorship in recent years and the public has shifted to consuming much of its news from social media. "The mainstream media is already compromised. That's the reason why many journalists turned to YouTube," YouTube journalist Asad Ali Toor told AFP in the capital Islamabad, where more than 150 journalists rallied against the bill. "The state wants the same control of social media as it is controlling the mainstream media," Toor said. Around 50 journalists also protested the bill outside the press club of the southern city of Karachi on Tuesday afternoon. - 'Highly undemocratic' - Analysts say the government is struggling with legitimacy after elections last February plagued by rigging allegations, and with popular former prime minister Imran Khan jailed on corruption charges he insists are politically motivated. Khan's supporters and senior lieutenants in his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party have faced a severe crackdown, with thousands rounded up and Khan's name censored from television. Much of PTI's campaigning has moved online where the party's young tech-savvy base has continually called for protests. PTI senator Syed Shibli Faraz called the new law "highly undemocratic" and said it would "fuel the political victimisation" of their supporters. Facebook, TikTok and WhatsApp are among the most popular social media platforms in Pakistan, where low digital literacy fuels the spread of false information, conspiracy theories and deepfakes. Some YouTube journalists blur the line between reporting and heavily partisan commentary tailored to their millions of followers. Many lack proper fact-checking skills and contribute to spreading false information, sometimes garnering thousands of views. "I am sure that in the future, the anarchy caused in society through social media will be controlled," government minister Tanveer Hussain said as the bill was approved. It will now be passed to the president to be rubber-stamped. - 'Controlling the narrative' - The new law says social media platforms must register with a newly established regulatory body, with non-compliance potentially leading to temporary or permanent bans. It also grants Pakistan's intelligence agencies the authority to investigate disinformation and allows any citizen to file a case. Senior journalist Asif Bashir Chaudhry, a member of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, told AFP the government had assured reporters they would be consulted but they were "betrayed and backstabbed". "We genuinely wanted a law against misinformation, but if it's not being done through open discussion but rather through fear and coercion, we will challenge it on every available platform," Chaudhry said. "Even under dictatorships, legislation was not forcefully rammed through parliament the way this government is doing now." Social media site X was shut down in the wake of February's election, as posts alleging vote tampering spread on the platform. Digital rights activist Nighat Dad told AFP there has been "one restrictive law after another, introduced under the guise of public interest or national security". The real intent is "consolidating power and controlling the narrative," she said. Pakistan is ranked 152 out of 180 countries in a press freedom index compiled by Reporters Without Borders. At least 239 cases against journalists accused of spreading "fake news" have been recorded in South and Southeast Asia since 2018, according to the Anti-Fake News Lawfare online database. In Pakistan, even before the new legislation, journalists have faced arrest under terrorism legislation which civil rights monitors say is used as a cudgel on dissent. zz/jts/sco
