LAHORE: Amnesty International on Wednesday said it is “alarmed” by the reports about the arrest of journalist and anchorperson Imran Riaz in Pakistan.
Urging the authorities to “stop punishing dissenting voices”, Amnesty said in a tweet that it has been a “worrying trend in Pakistan for many years”.
“Amnesty International is alarmed by news of journalist Imran Riaz Khan’s arrest and urges authorities to stop punishing dissenting voices, as has been a worrying trend in Pakistan for many years,” wrote Amnesty.
Attock police arrested journalist and anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan in Attock on Tuesday night. The journalist’s counsel reported that 17 treason cases have been registered against Imran across Punjab, while he was also filing a contempt of court case against the police.
The human rights watchdog said that “journalists have disappeared, faced politically motivated charges and even violently attacked for simply doing their job.”
It added that journalism should not be treated as a crime.
Following Imran’s arrest, PTI leaders including Chairman Imran Khan, Fawad Ch, Asad Umar, Shahbaz Gill, and others condemned the victimization and expressed support for the journalist.
