Islamabad: The European Union has raised concerns over violence, intimidation, kidnapping, and murder of journalists in Pakistan and said it showed the “clear and negative” trend in media freedom in recent years.
A spokesman for foreign affairs and security policy, Nabila Massali, said on Tuesday: “Backtracking in this area has a detrimental impact on the climate of freedom of expression as a whole in Pakistan and reflects negatively to the image of Pakistan abroad,” Geo reported TV.
The EU is also worried about harassment that is widespread and systematic, especially female journalists, through coordinated campaigns including rough language and threats of violence, Massali said.
A spokesman for the UE said actively recommended the importance of freedom of expression and the need for journalist protection throughout the world, including in Pakistan and directly with Pakistani authorities, reported further Geo TV.
“In the fifth EU-Pakistan strategic dialogue with Qureshi Foreign Minister on November 3, 2020, [High representative from the Foreign Affairs and Security Policy] Josep Borrell reaffirmed concerns over freedom of expression and media in Pakistan,” Massalani said.
Previously in June, three international rights groups voiced serious concerns in recent attacks in journalists in Pakistan and emphasizing pressure on critical scribes against the government Imran Khan.
Human Rights Watch (HRW), Amnesty International and the International Juris Commission requested a rapid prosecution against those suspected of being a criminal responsibility, reported the news of the Afghan Pajhwok.
Last month, a journalist based in Islamabad Asad Ali Toor, who was known for criticism of the country’s establishment was attacked in the capital of Pakistan.
The attackers entered his house and attacked him brutally.
Last year, the authorities had demanded toor with incitement to comment on social media “guardian state institutions”.
The court then rejected the allegations, reported the news of the Afghan Pajhwok.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in ‘White Papers in Global Journalism’ enrolled five countries, including Pakistan as ‘the most dangerous countries for journalism practices in the world’ with 138 journalists killed in Pakistan since 1990.