ISLAMABAD: The local administration in Pakistan's northwestern Swat Valley on Thursday issued an order for the release of journalist Fayyaz Zafar, who was detained a day earlier on allegations of defaming security agencies.
The journalist, who is associated with both Voice of America and the local Daily Mashriq newspaper, was arrested after a district magistrate in Swat granted approval for his detainment under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance of 1960 on Wednesday. Zafar is accused of spreading “fake and offensive” information to stoke “anti-state sentiments” and posing a “threat” to the peaceful atmosphere of Swat by “defaming/ demoralizing the law enforcement agencies fighting against militancy.”
As per a letter released by the office of the deputy commissioner in Swat, the notification regarding Zafar's arrest was retracted following requests from the district bar association and a tribal jirga.
“As per request of the District Bar Association and notables of Tehsil Babozai Swat, the detention order U/S 3 of the West Pakistan Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance 1960 issued vide this court […] is hereby withdrawn, and the accused namely, Fayaz Zafar s/o Zafar Ali r/o Saidu sharif District Swat, be released from Jail if not involved in any other case,” the notification said from the deputy commissioner’s office said.
Pakistan's interim information minister, Murtaza Solangi, on Thursday asked authorities in Swat district to furnish a report regarding the journalist's arrest and called for a transparent investigation into the incident, saying no official should misuse their authority to suppress journalists.
Global rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders, have expressed concern over shrinking media freedom in Pakistan in recent years. The issue has been in the spotlight recently after a top Pakistani anchor, Arshad Sharif, was shot dead in Kenya last year after going on the run from Pakistan. Another broadcaster, Imran Riaz Khan, also disappeared earlier this year.
District administration in northwest Pakistan orders release of journalist detained for ‘defaming’ security agencies
https://arab.news/chq76
District administration in northwest Pakistan orders release of journalist detained for ‘defaming’ security agencies
- Journalist Fayyaz Zafar was arrested on Wednesday on charges of stoking "anti-state sentiments"
- Orders to arrest the journalist were withdrawn upon request of district bar association and tribal jirga
Pakistan warns citizens in Iran to keep travel documents ready amid intensifying protests
- Iranian universities reschedule exams, allow foreign students to leave the country for one month
- Donald Trump pledges support for Iranian protesters as ‘activists’ report more than 2,500 deaths
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top diplomat to Iran on Tuesday urged Pakistani nationals to keep their travel documents handy and advised students to plan ahead after Iranian universities rescheduled examinations to allow international students to leave, as weeks-long nationwide protests further intensified.
Iran has been gripped by protests since late December after shopkeepers in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar shut their businesses to protest worsening economic conditions, triggered by the Iranian rial plunging to record lows against the US dollar.
The demonstrations quickly spread beyond the capital, with unrest reported in most of the country’s 31 provinces and involving traders, students and other groups.
Authorities have responded with arrests, use of force and Internet and mobile network disruptions, which rights groups say are aimed at curbing coordination and limiting coverage of the protests.
At least 100 Pakistani citizens, including students and pilgrims, have returned home through the Pakistan-Iran border in the southwestern province of Balochistan, a Pakistani official told Arab News on Tuesday, though many are still believed to be in the neighboring state.
“I urge all Pakistani citizens in Iran to keep their travel documents, particularly immigration-related documents such as passport and ID cards, readily available with them,” Ambassador Mudassir Tipu said in a post on X. “Those who have expired documents, or their documents are not in their possession, they may kindly urgently approach us for timely and expeditious assistance.”
In a separate post, he said Iranian universities had rescheduled examinations and allowed international students to leave the country for one month, advising Pakistani students to make their plans accordingly.
On Jan. 1, Pakistan advised its citizens to avoid traveling to Iran, citing safety concerns linked to the protests. The Pakistani embassy in Tehran also set up a crisis management unit to provide round-the-clock assistance to citizens.
Iran eased some restrictions on Tuesday, allowing international phone calls via mobile networks for the first time in days, but maintained limits on Internet access and text messaging as the death toll from the protests rose to at least 2,571 people, according to the Associated Press that quoted “activists.”
In a message on Truth Social, US President Donald Trump urged Iranian protesters to continue their anti-government demonstrations, saying “help is on its way,” without providing details. Shortly afterward, Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, accused the United States and Israel of responsibility for the deaths of Iranian civilians.
Iranian state television said officials would hold funerals on Wednesday for “martyrs and security defenders” killed during the unrest, which has intensified over the past week.
