President Dr Arif Alvi on Thursday penned a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the recent harassment of journalists and media persons, expressing his concern and calling for remedial action to be taken.
The President of Pakistan’s Twitter account shared the letter, saying that abhorrent pressure was being put on journalists for voicing their “independent opinion & criticism”. “Arrests, beatings [and] harassment, including cases of sedition, are designed to create fear & terror,” it added.
President Alvi said the recent incidents of violence against journalists reflected a mindset of “intolerance” that would have negative repercussions on democracy’s future and freedom of expression in the country.
“Besides creating fear in Pakistan, such actions also come under international focus and tarnish the image of our country,” he added.
Alvi said Pakistan stood at the 157th position in the Freedom of Press Index, 2022, and numerous international organisations had attributed “harassment, intimidation and physical violence against journalists as the main reasons for the dismal position of Pakistan in the said index”.
“Among those killed were Aziz Memon and Nazim Jokhio. Matiullah Jan was abducted in broad daylight from a busy area of Islamabad. Asad Ali Toor and Absar Alam were assaulted and injured by unidentified men.
“Ayaz Amir was attacked, humiliated and bruised by unknown persons on the road during rush hours in the presence of many eyewitnesses in Lahore. Multiple FIRs (first information report) have been registered against Sami Ibrahim, Arshad Sharif, Sabir Shakir, Imran Riaz Khan and Moeed Pirzada at various police stations in a number of cities across the country,” the letter said.
The letter said journalists in the country were subjected to charges of sedition and terrorism to “stifle dissent and criticism against the powerful elements of state”.
Alvi argued that such actions also undermined the efforts of the judiciary since if relief was provided in one jurisdiction, another case was registered in another jurisdiction with “mala fide intention to continue harassment”.
“It appears that a reign of terror has been unleashed against the media persons who have independent opinions.
“Actions or inactions of previous governments should not be used as a ruse to repeat similar violations and such a stance is both untenable and a lame excuse. Rather than taking the country in a progressive and positive direction, such comparisons become a justification to do worse in retaliation,” the president said.
He added that according to Article 41 of the Constitution, the president should endeavour to protect the fundamental rights of freedom of speech and fair trial for all citizens.
Pakistan being a democratic country, should not allow oppression and persecution of intelligentsia and journalists, Alvi said, adding that such actions must be considered “abhorrent in a progressive society”.
“Law enforcement agencies may be directed to ensure protection of journalists and media persons. In this regard, politicians across the aisle should also play their role to save the journalists from highhandedness of unknown and unscrupulous elements. I would like to be informed of the remedial actions taken per Article 46 of our Constitution,” the letter said.
PTI Vice President Fawad Chaudhry appreciated President Alvi for “standing up for rights and drawing attention towards most important issues”.
