JournalismPakistan.com
June 16, 2023

ISLAMABAD—Amnesty International and global media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Thursday said the cases against journalists under Pakistan's anti-terror laws violate the right to freedom of expression.

In a statement, Amnesty International said: “At least seven journalists and commentators have been charged with offences against the state and anti-terror laws in the past four days.” The statement said the use of these laws to silence commentators and journalists is a violation of the right to freedom of expression.

According to media reports, Shaheen Sehbai, Wajahat Saeed Khan, Adil Raja, Syed Haider Raza Mehdi, Sabir Shakir, Moeed Pirzada and one other person have all been charged with offences against the state and anti-terror laws.

“The Anti-Terrorism Act has been criticized for the sweeping powers given to the police and armed forces, to abuse human rights with impunity, and removes safeguards against arbitrary arrest, detention and ill-treatment.”

Amnesty International asked Pakistani authorities to “end the use of offences against the state and anti-terror laws to silence critics.” It said that if there is sufficient evidence of wrongdoing, suspects should be charged under ordinary criminal laws, with an internationally recognizable offence not weaponized to restrict the freedom of expression and produced before a civilian court.

On the other hand, RSF called for dismissing “ludicrous mutiny accusations in a complaint with no credibility” against Wajahat Khan and Shaheen Sehbai. “In view of the absurdity of the supposed incriminating evidence, we call on the Islamabad prosecutor’s office to dismiss this complaint, which should never have been received.”