HRCP condemns arrest of Pakistani journalist as 'attack on press freedom'

Islamabad: Human Rights Council of Pakistan (HRCP) has strongly condemned the arrest of prominent journalist Khalid Jamil, calling it an assault on press freedom. Jamil was taken into custody on Friday by the Cyber Crime Cell of the Federal Investigative Agency (FIA) from his residence in Islamabad Media Town. The FIA stated the arrest followed the “completion of official procedures” but provided no further details.

The HRCP said that the constitutional and internationally recognised right to freedom of expression protects journalists, and arresting them for their reporting or views constitutes a violation of fundamental human rights. The body demanded Jamil’s immediate release and urged the Pakistani government to halt the harassment of journalists.

Highlighting the importance of a free press as the foundation of a democratic society, HRCP stressed that suppressing journalists undermines democratic values. Jamil, currently unaffiliated with any media organisation, runs a YouTube channel that frequently reports on human rights violations and political repression in Pakistan. He was previously arrested in September 2023 by the FIA over alleged anti-state social media posts.

Earlier this week, HRCP criticised the registration of cases under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) against four women journalists of the National Press Club (NPC) in Islamabad, Nayyar Ali, Sehrish Qureshi, Maira Imran, and Shakeela Jalil describing it as another attack on freedom of expression and highlighting the extra challenges faced by women journalists in the country.

With IANS inputs