ISLAMABAD – International Press watchdog Reporters without Borders listed Prime Minister Imran Khan among 37 leaders on the list that accused these heads of state of “creating a censorship apparatus in their states”.
The international NGO, which aimed to safeguard the right to freedom of information, has named 37 world leaders as the ‘predators of press freedom.’ The listed members are accused of cracking down on media persons by resorting to censorship, and even imprisonment and torture in severe cases.
The report of Paris-based media freedom watchdog stated that religious conservatism and the ideology of populism seemed to rise in the South Asian country since the start of the Imran Khan-led government. Freedom of the press had been suppressed in every possible way, it stated.
The RSF report stated, “Democratic forces had weakened and the ‘deep state’ of the establishment was strengthened instead of civilian supremacy while pro-government narrative on mainstream and social media was promoted since the start of new government while journalists faced oppression in the form of lawsuits besides assassinations, violence, and censorship.”
The report also alleged the incumbent authorities for blocking media’s ads, shutting down TV channels, torturing journalists. It further added that journalists leaving the country for security reasons were also being harassed in those countries.
Freedom of speech and public opinion on social platforms were also being censored through draconian laws. Those who dare to highlight the oppression are tagged as ‘anti-state.’
Meanwhile, the other head of state includes Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iran’s Ali Khamenei, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Kim Jong Un of North Korea. Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman and Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro are also new entrants on the list.
A statement issued by the watchdog cited “All 37 heads of state or government who trample on press freedom by creating a censorship apparatus, jailing journalists arbitrarily or inciting violence against them, when they don’t have blood on their hands because they have directly or indirectly pushed for journalists to be murdered.”
Soon after the report started making headlines on social media, opposition parties, mainly Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz slammed the incumbent authorities for censorship. Mariyam Aurangzeb while lashing the government said “Imran’s fascist mindset and authoritarian attitude and character was maligning the country’s image in the international realm and is a slap in the face of PTI’s government’s claims of democracy and performance.”
She further added that the “PTI government was worse than military dictatorships in Pakistan when it comes to press freedom. The Human Rights Watch, Pakistan Press Freedom Report, and Freedom Network Report had already declared the Imran government as the worst media gagging administration in the country’s history.”
On the other hand, a government spokesperson strongly negated and condemned the RSF report saying Prime Minister Imran Khan ‘strongly believed in the freedom of expression and media independence in Pakistan’.
A statement issued in light of the RSF report negated the allegations while it highlighted the government’s efforts in creating a congenial environment for the journalists, including the unanimous approval of the Journalist Protection Bill by the cabinet. The report implies naivety and sheer negligence in reporting and is vehemently rebutted, the statement reads.
The RSF report jumped to the conclusion that Pakistani media was under ‘increasingly draconian censorship measures by Khan’s government’, despite the fact that the government had been taking all possible measures to facilitate journalists to perform their professional obligations.
Imran Khan or any government officials did not believe in issuing press advice rather, it encourages self-regulation by the media. The spokesperson said that ‘the report is an attempt to malign the elected representatives of the people of Pakistan, without any corroborative evidence. It was also hoped that in future the RSF would avoid such irresponsible journalism’, it concluded.
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