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07-07-2022
By SJA Jafri + Bureau Report
ISLAMABAD/ LAHORE: A very famous senior journalist and anchor person, Imran Riaz Khan, who has more than three million subscribers on YouTube, was arrested on Tuesday on the outskirts of Islamabad in connection with a treason case. Khan had questioned the mighty Pakistan Army and its chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. The arrest faced widespread condemnation from prominent politicians, journalists and activists, including the former PM Imran Khan who wrote, “The country is descending into fascism”.
In a tweet that concurred with Khan’s statement, Riaz said: “Yes it’s a fascist regime in Pakistan. Many of us r facing cases just because of our journalism. 20 cases on me. Where is democracy and freedom of speech?”
Riaz Khan has been a vocal critic of the Pakistani military’s role in the government and is facing charges of abetment of mutiny and criticism of the state institutions in nearly 17 cases.
The police said the arrest was made based on a complaint by one Malik Mureed Abbas under the Electronic Crimes Act and six other sections. According to the FIR, the complainant had seen a video in which the journalist was allegedly trying to maline the image of the state institution. In the 
video addressed to the Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Riaz Khan alleged that he was being threatened for questioning the role of the Pakistani military in the affairs of the country.
A few weeks ago, in a petition filed before the Islamabad High Court, Riaz made a plea to avoid arrest. The court had then directed the authorities concerned to stop arresting journalists but also directed the journalist to cooperate with the law enforcement agencies.
Following the news of his arrest, Twitter saw hashtags in favour of the journalist and people stormed Lahore’s Liberty Chowk as a mark of protest. PTI announced a nationwide protest against the arrest.
Riaz was also quoted in a video saying, “It makes no difference whether they imprison me or kill me or whatever they do… I think we should continue performing our duties… I am requesting all journalists to raise your voice and keep doing your jobs.”
Fate of journalists in Pakistan
For Pakistani journalists, these arrests aren’t new. Several cases have been lodged against senior 
journalists and anchors such as Arshad Sharif and Mooed Pirzada for allegedly spreading hate against the Pakistani military.
In the past week, Pakistan has seen a string of killings and assault on journalists. While two journalists were killed by unidentified assailants in Sindh and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, prominent journalist and political analyst Ayaz Amir was assaulted in Lahore, a day after he delivered a speech in Islamabad questioning the present regime and the role of the military.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) had condemned the killings and called on the Pakistani authorities to safeguard press freedom.
While the Shehbaz Sharif government rejects charges of crackdown on the freedom of the press, the Pakistani police in recent days have launched criminal proceedings against journalists and talk show hosts critical of the military and the government.
In addition to this, Pakistan’s Electronic Media Regulation Authority (PEMRA), had recently warned digital news outlets and broadcasters against airing anything that was critical of the state institutions and threatened actions such as a fine or suspension of their licenses.
Pakistan ranks 145 out of 180 countries on the most recent World Press Freedom Index and is also identified as one of the most dangerous countries for journalists.
Earlier, another senior journalist and political analyst Ayaz Amir was assaulted by unidentified men in Lahore on Friday night, a day after he termed Pakistan’s Army generals “property dealers”.
Amir (73) was returning home after his TV program on Dunya News was intercepted by unidentified men. He claimed that he was dragged out of the car and thrashed, news agency PTI reported.
With bruises on his face, Amir alleged that the masked men not only “hit him and tore his clothes, they also took away his cellphone and wallet. They left when people started gathering on the busy road”.
On Thursday, during a speech at a seminar in Islamabad on the ‘Regime Change and its Fallout on Pakistan’, Amir targeted the powerful military establishment for its role in Pakistan’s politics. The seminar was also attended by former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
He referred to the Army generals as “property dealers” and even suggested removing the portraits of Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Iqbal and replacing them with the “property dealers”.
In an indirect reference to Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, Amir said he was into his sixth year of tenure and looking for another extension.
Parts of Amir’s speech have gone viral on social media. He also pointed out the mistakes committed by Imran Khan during his tenure as the country’s prime minister especially following the lines of the military establishment.
Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz has sought a report from the Inspector General of Police over the assault of the senior journalist and ordered that the culprits be arrested at the earliest. Reacting to the incident, Imran Khan tweeted, “I condemn in strongest terms the violence against senior journalist Ayaz Amir today in Lahore. Pakistan descending into the worst kind of fascism with violence and fake FIRs against journalists, opposition politicians, and citizens. When the state loses all moral authority it resorts to violence.” Journalists, lawyer bodies and rights activists condemned the assault.
Countrywide crackdown against journalists, anchor persons, opponents, media owners and other general people has been in full swing in past in Pakistan but the current wave of assaulting, abusing, arresting, torturing, kidnapping and missing of journalists set a new worst standard in the history of world media, victims, media persons, LEAs officials even present and former army personnel and sources confirmed PMI late night while they also intimated this journalist (SJA Jafri) not to write against present regime or army of Pakistan otherwise either would be booked in false case or murdered anytime as thousands of journalists assassinated, kidnapped, missed and detained in fake cases through private complainants since the emergence of Pakistan hence, thousands of other same type of cases are unreported yet.
