ISLAMABAD, May 14 (Reuters): Pakistan has told both Indian journalists stationed in Islamabad that they must leave within a week, the journalists told Reuters on Wednesday, saying they had been informed that their visas would not be renewed.
The move came amid simmering tensions between Pakistan’s powerful military and a civilian government that appears dovish towards archrival India, where Hindu nationalist opposition leader Narendra Modi appears set to win a general election. Late on Tuesday night, Snehesh Alex Philip of The Press Trust of India and Meena Menon of The Hindu received letters telling them that their visas would not be renewed. No reason was given. Both had been in Pakistan for less than a year.
Pakistan has become an increasingly dangerous place for journalists to operate, but restrictions put on Indian reporters’ movements are stricter than for other foreign journalists. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has repeatedly said publicly that he wants to improve relations with India and has pledged to improve press freedoms. But Pakistan’s military remains deeply suspicious of both journalists and India.
The two nuclear-armed neighbours have fought three wars since they became separate countries in 1947. Their governments have a reciprocal arrangement allowing two correspondents from each country to be stationed in the other’s capital. Pakistani journalists face much greater threats than foreigners. At least 34 Pakistani journalists have been killed for their work since Pakistan returned to democracy in 2008, but in only one case has the killer been convicted.
Pakistan’s feared military spy agency was implicated in numerous cases of abductions, torture, and killings, an Amnesty International report said last month. The defense ministry demanded in April that Geo TV, the country’s most popular channel, be shut down after it aired accusations that the spy agency was responsible for the shooting of one of its top news anchors. Last year, the government expelled a reporter from The New York Times.
Pak’s expulsion of scribes a retrograde step: India
NEW Delhi, May 14 (PTI): In a strong reaction, India on Wednesday termed as “regrettable and unfortunate” the expulsion of the two Indian correspondents in Pakistan and said not allowing independent journalists to function was a “retrograde step”.
Asserting that free flow of information between India and Pakistan has long been recognized as an important confidence building measure, the external affairs ministry spokesperson said this confidence building measure (CBM) should be safeguarded by all concerned.
In an abrupt action, Pakistan has expelled the two Indian journalists, Press Trust of India’s Snehesh Alex Philip and The Hindu newspaper’s Meena Menon, posted there and asked them late on Tuesday night to leave within seven days without assigning any reason.
“It is regrettable and unfortunate that the two Indian correspondents in Pakistan have been asked to leave prematurely and suddenly only a few months after their arrival there.
“Not allowing independent journalists to function is a retrograde step especially as free flow of information between India and Pakistan has long been recognised as an important confidence building measure,” the spokesperson said.
Asked if expulsion could be related to the ongoing ferment and debate in Pakistan about the media and the differences between various organs of state on freedom of media, he said, “We are surprised that there have been numerous allegations against India in the ongoing controversy in Pakistan on media freedom and the different views of Pakistan institutions thereto.
“The stationing of journalists and free flow of information is an important CBM and should be safeguarded by all concerned.”
