Information ministry expresses concern over expelled journalist's case

Declan Walsh had been working in Pakistan since 2004.

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MOIB) expressed concern in a letter to the Interior Ministry on Tuesday regarding a failure to seek approbation from MOIB while issuing visas, extending stays, and cancelling visits of foreign journalists, reported Dawn.

In the letter, the MoIB observed that Interior Ministry had bypassed the Rules of Business 1973 under which visa-related matters of foreign journalists were to be routed through the external publicity wing of the information ministry.

Regular procedures were reportedly bypassed as Walsh’s visa was extended by the Interior Ministry without approval from MOIB and was later cancelled the same way. The letter asked for reasoning behind bypassing the MOIB in extending and cancelling the visa.

The issue surfaced as the Pakistan Bureau Chief of the New York Times, Declan Walsh was issued a notification to leave the country on the eve of national elections. The journalist left within the three days deadline from the notice and was not provided details for the expulsion. The notice stated that his visa had been cancelled on the basis of his “undesirable activities”.

Walsh had been working in Pakistan since 2004.