‘Pak military using fear to stifle media’

The military has quietly, but effectively, set restrictions on reporting: from barring access to regions ... to encouraging selfcensorship... (including) allegedly instigating violence against reporters. COMMITTEE TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS, in a report

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s military is using fear and intimidation to stifle the media and undermine press freedom even as overall violence against reporters has fallen, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Wednesday.

The press freedom group said the military had established “lines of control” to pressure the media and journalists who pushed back or were overly critical were attacked, threatened or arrested.

The military routinely denies interference in politics or with the media. Its information wing could not be reached for comment by telephone nor did it respond to text messages seeking comment on the report.

Information minister Fawad Chaudhry told Reuters no media complaints about intimidation had been lodged with his ministry but if they were, they would be investigated.

The CPJ spoke to various journalists and media organisations for its report, including Geo News, Pakistan’s most popular television news channel.

In April, in the run-up to a general election, cable distributors stopped distributing Geo’s programming, cutting off about 80% of households.

At the time, two sources at the broadcaster told Reuters the military had told it to refrain from reporting on various topics including alleged military involvement in the ouster of former premier Nawaz Sharif. The Supreme Court forced Sharif from office in July 2017 over his failure to declare some income.

Similarly, the English-language Dawn newspaper has seen its circulation blocked in some places, which the paper’s editor said pointed to military intervention. REUTERS