In a not so surprising move, Pakistan has denied entry to a journalist named Steven Butler from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a non governmental organization that seeks to ensure that nations protect their journalists and uphold press freedom.
The journalist was to participate in the Asma Jahangir conference- Roadmap for human rights in Pakistan.
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The harassed journalist who landed in the Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore with a valid visa found himself being denied an entry into the country. An immigration official is said to have told him that he was on the restricted list maintained by the Ministry of Interior and hence cannot proceed further.
He was made to board back a flight to Doha from where he returned home.
Pakistan and its notorious deep state are known for their hypocrisy. Even as they champion the cause of press freedom and organize events in honour of the human rights defender Asma Jahangir in Geneva, they continue to hound journalists and all other critical voices.
Author Priyajit Debsarkar says that :” journalists have to take down notes dictated by Ghafoora and publish only those and nothing else if they want to live peacefully”. He was referring to the notorious Major General Asif Ghafoor, DG ISPR, also known as a key board warrior who has been only trolling and threatening voices critical of his employer.