PEC urges Pak military to respect media persons
Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), the global media safety and
rights body, while expressing relief over the release of senior
television personality Ammad Yousaf on 11 August 2022 by a
Karachi-based civil court urges the Pakistani military authority to
maintain respect for media persons. The director (news) of popular ARY
The news was arrested on Wednesday over an anti-Pak army comment. The
energetic newsman was picked up by a group of armed personnel in
plainclothes from his residence in the southern port city of Pakistan
during night hours.
Allegations framed against Yousaf were based on a news item, telecast
by ARY News, where it perpetually asked the lower-level armed
personnel to disobey orders of top military officers. Pakistan
Electronic Media Regulatory Authority termed it as a matter of serious
concern as the comment was seemingly aimed at mutiny in the name of
political tussle between the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and
opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (led by former Pakistan premier
Imran Khan). The authority also warned ARY digital network chief
Salman Iqbal along with anchors Arshad Sharif and Khawar Ghuman for
the same.
Media persons across the south Asian nation condemned Yousaf’s arrest
and termed it an act of victimization. They demanded immediate
intervention by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif into the shameful act.
The government authority even prevented the transmission of ARY News.
However, the court directed for resumption of its transmission across
the country. Blaise Lempen, president of PEC (www.pressemblem.ch)
appealed to the Islamabad-based government to respect press
freedom, which was committed by PM Sharif as he took over the
responsibility.
PEC’s south Asia representative Nava Thakuria informs that Pakistan
continues to be a dangerous country for working journalists as it has
witnessed the killing of four journalists (Iftikhar Ahmed, Hasnain
Shah, Murtaza Shar, and Athar Mateen) and a number of incidents with
media intimidation till date this year. The same number of media
casualties were also reported from its neighbor India as the large
the country lost Rohit Kumar Biswal, Sudhir Saini, Junaid Khan Pathan and
Subhash Kumar Mahato to assailants since 1 January.
