Moeed Pirzada calls treason case a 'scripted plan'

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 14 June 2023

Moeed Pirzada has denounced the treason case filed against him and fellow journalists as a deliberate tactic to suppress free expression. He asserts that these cases have been filed against those criticizing the government's actions from abroad.

Summary

ISLAMABAD—Commenting on the registration of a treason case against him and other journalists, Moeed Pirzada on Wednesday termed it a "scripted plan to silence all Pakistani journalists who are using the freedoms in the West to criticize the PDM junta".

Treason cases have been registered against Shaheen Sehbai, Sabir Shakir, Ahmed Noorani, Wajahat Khan and Moeed—all currently outside Pakistan—along with former army officers operating their channels on various social media platforms.

Moeed maintained that the "only thing common between all of us is that we all are based in western democracies and are criticizing the fascist regime in Pakistan".

He said on the face of it, "a propaganda machine worked 24/7 to convince everyone that Adil Raja is target because he narrated 'lies' as 'facts'…"

Moeed argued that these multiple FIRs would be helpful for the solicitors/lawyers of Adil Raja. "These almost identical FIRs against seven or eight political commentators (including four journalists of more than 15-20 years experience in field) conclusively prove the farcical nature of FIR against Adil Raja & cae made in the UK!"

KEY POINTS:

• Moeed Pirzada criticizes the treason case as scripted.
• Cases filed against multiple journalists living outside Pakistan.
• Alleges a coordinated effort to silence dissent.
• Identical FIRs indicate a farcical nature of the charges.
• Claims the government is targeting critics in Western democracies.