City
Epaper

Imran Khan slammed for remark on press freedom

By IANS | Updated: August 1, 2019 18:55 IST

The global media watchdog, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), has criticised Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan for rejecting the question of media curbs in the country.

Open in App

During his visit to the US, Khan had said that talking about curbs on press freedom in Pakistan was a "joke".

"It is clear that either you are very poorly informed, in which case you should urgently replace the people around you, or you are knowingly concealing the facts, which is very serious, given your responsibilities," RSF Secretary General Christophe Deloire wrote on Wednesday, reported Dawn newspaper.

The RSF alleged that it was an "obscenity" for Khan to say that press freedom was thriving in Pakistan.

Given a recent surge in press freedom violations, which the RSF enumerated in a statement, "you will appreciate that to talk of 'one of the freest presses in the world' is clearly tantamount to an obscenity," Deloire said.

He urged Khan to "allow Pakistan's journalists to exercise their profession in complete safety and with complete independence". The credibility of the Pakistani state and democracy is at stake, he said.

Earlier in July, the government launched a blistering attack on the press, linking critical coverage to potential "treason".

Also in July, a number of private television channels had their broadcasts cut after screening a press conference with former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's daughter Maryam Nawaz.

In recent years, the space for dissent has shrunk, with the government announcing a crackdown on social networks and traditional media houses decrying pressure from authorities that they say has resulted in widespread self-censorship.

( With inputs from IANS )

Tags: pakistanRSFNawaz SharifMaryam Nawaz
Open in App

Related Stories

Cricket'India Hamare Baap The..': Pakistani Fan Abuses Men in Green After Loss to India in Asia Cup 2025 Final (Watch)

CricketIND vs PAK 2025 Live Streaming: Head-to-Head Record, When and Where to Watch India vs Pakistan Asia Cup Final

Cricket'Abhishek Sharma Bigger Talent Than Yuvraj Singh': Former Pakistan Cricketer After IND vs PAK Match in Asia Cup 2025

Cricket'He Could Have Taken Side Angle': Former Cricket Umpire on Fakhar Zaman's Dismissal in IND vs PAK Super 4 Match of Asia Cup

Other SportsAfter Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan, Pakistani Footballer Stirs Row With Controversial Gesture During IND vs PAK SAFF U17 Match (VIDEO)

International Realted Stories

InternationalDiaspora celebrates Navratri with fervour, brings forth Indian culture to Panama

InternationalPortions of US govt shuts down, employees on furlough

InternationalHuman Rights body slams Yunus for calling Hindu persecution in Bangladesh 'baseless'

InternationalSpears and Wreaths: Forgotten battle and rediscovered alliance between Haifa and India

International"This is Republicans' shutdown," Ex US VP Kamala Harris says