Pakistan Freezes Bank Accounts of Parrot Sellers Linked to Journalist Asad Ali Toor

July 19, 2025 – Pakistan –

In a surreal and alarming development in Pakistan, several parrot sellers have had their bank accounts frozen simply for selling birds to Asad Ali Toor, a prominent independent journalist known for his criticism of state institutions. The bizarre incident underscores the growing use of financial repression against dissenting voices and their associates.

Toor, a well-known journalist and vlogger, discovered in April 2025 that both his own and his mother’s bank accounts had been frozen. The Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Cyber Crime Wing reportedly carried out the order without warning or legal notice, citing allegations of “anti-state” online activity and suspected money laundering. However, Toor maintains the accusations are politically motivated and a tool of intimidation.

What drew widespread outrage, however, was that unrelated individuals, parrot sellers in cities including Rawalpindi, Islamabad, and Lahore, also had their accounts frozen after selling birds to Toor. Sellers like Rozi Khan and Nadeem Nasir were questioned about their dealings with Toor and denied access to their funds, despite having no political connection to him. Some were reportedly forced to sign statements disavowing Toor’s political views to have their accounts unfrozen.

The Islamabad High Court ruled in May 2025 that the FIA’s actions against Toor violated due process. Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro stated that no legal procedure was followed and no formal charges were presented before the freeze. While Toor’s accounts were eventually restored, many of the bird sellers are still facing account restrictions, with no clear legal recourse.

This case highlights how Pakistan’s authorities are expanding their crackdown on free speech by targeting not only journalists but also their peripheral contacts. Media watchdogs and human rights advocates have condemned the incident as an example of transgressive overreach and financial harassment. It serves as a stark reminder that in Pakistan’s shrinking space for press freedom, even selling a pet bird to the “wrong person” can come with dire consequences.

Reference – 

https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2025/7/17/how-selling-parrots-to-a-pakistani-journalist-led-to-a-locked-bank-account

https://www.news18.com/world/parrot-sales-spark-probe-pakistan-journalist-and-bird-sellers-face-frozen-bank-accounts-ws-l-9449612.html

https://www.livemint.com/news/world/pakistan-punishes-parrot-sellers-for-selling-birds-to-a-journalist-they-don-t-like-no-this-is-not-a-joke-11752922219241.html