Dispatches letter based on a complaint from anchorperson Arshad Sharif
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President Dr Arif Alvi on Friday once again urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to protect journalists from harassment.
In his second letter in a week, Alvi wrote to Shehbaz and asked the latter to direct the relevant ministries and departments to take remedial measures and preemptive actions to alleviate the apprehensions and grievances of journalists and media persons against harassment, physical abuse and violence.
Attaching a letter from anchorperson Arshad Sharif, Alvi said that his attention had been drawn to incidents of harassment of certain journalists. Sharif had alleged that some unscrupulous elements were threatening to endanger his life and requested the president to safeguard his fundamental rights as enshrined in Articles 4, 9, 10A, 14, 18, 19 and 19A of the Constitution of Pakistan.
“The Constitution urges the state to provide due rights and protection to individuals,” the President wrote, adding, “Pakistan has always strived to do so, but in the case of journalists and media persons, if they feel pressurized, fair criticism within the bounds of the law, freedom of expression and then democracy itself is threatened.”
This is the second letter that Alvi has written to Shehbaz on this topic.
Earlier on July 7, Alvi
wrote to the prime minister after the
arrest of anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan from Attock and
assault on columnist Ayaz Amir in Lahore.
In the letter, Alvi expressed his deep concern over the increasing trend of harassment and torture of journalists and media personnel in the country.
Alvi had also raised the issue of FIRs registered against Arshad Sharif along with
Sami Ibrahim, Sabir Shakir, Imran Riaz Khan and Moeed Pirzada at various police stations.
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