Islamabad, April 23 (IANS) Persecution of minorities, misuse of blasphemy laws, violence against women and the forced return of Afghan refugees demonstrate Pakistan’s failure to protect vulnerable groups, local media has highlighted. An editorial in Pakistan’s leading daily Dawn cited Amnesty International’s latest report that has criticised the state of civil liberties in Pakistan. Amendments to Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) and anti-terror laws have increased censorship and detent…
Latest Sohrab Barkat News & Updates
Islamabad, April 21 (IANS) Global rights watchdog Amnesty International in its annual report has highlighted a pattern of restrictions on civil liberties in Pakistan, including curbs on freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and political participation, local media reported on Tuesday. Amnesty has stated that changes to online speech and anti-terrorism laws in Pakistan have significantly affected freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, resulting in the arrest of journalists, activists and…
Islamabad, Feb 14 (IANS) Raising serious doubts over the freedom of press in Pakistan, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), has condemned the use of legal harassment to prolong detention of digital journalist and YouTube host Sohrab Barkat and called for his immediate release. 31-year-old Barkat, an Islamabad-based correspondent for Pakistani news outlet Siasat, was detained at Islamabad International Airport while…
Islamabad, Jan 4 (IANS) An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan has sentenced eight journalists and social media commentators to life imprisonment in absentia, convicting them of terrorism-linked offences related to online activity backing former Prime Minister Imran Khan, sparking concerns over press freedom and freedom of expression in the country, as per a media report. The case is related to protests that began after Imran Khan’s arrest on May 9, 2023, when Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) support…