President asks PM to protect journalists

'The Constitution urges the state to provide due rights and protection to individuals,' says the president

ISLAMABAD:

President Dr Arif Alvi wrote another letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday, asking him to direct the relevant ministries and departments to take remedial measures and pre-emptive actions to alleviate apprehensions and grievances of the journalists and media persons against incidents of harassment, physical abuse and violence.

Alvi attached a letter received by him from anchorperson Arshad Sharif, wherein he drew attention of the president towards the incidents of harassment, while quoting a few eminent journalists and information gathered by him through different sources.

“The Constitution urges the state to provide due rights and protection to individuals. Pakistan has always strived to do so, but in the case of journalists and media persons, if they feel pressurised, fair criticism within the bounds of law, freedom of expression and then democracy itself is threatened,” the president said.

In the letter to the president, Arshad Sharif had alleged that some unscrupulous elements were threatening him. He requested the president to safeguard his fundamental rights as enshrined in Articles 4, 9, 10A, 14, 18, 19 and 19A of the Constitution.