ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad district and sessions court on Wednesday extended journalist Asad Toor’s physical remand by two days, his lawyer confirmed, in a case where he is accused of running a campaign against the judiciary on social media.
Toor, a reporter who is also a popular video blogger in Pakistan, was arrested on Feb 26 on charges of orchestrating a campaign against the state and its officials, with the “objective to coerce, intimidate, and incite violence” against them through his social media platforms. He was presented in court a day later, after which his remand was extended for five days.
In January, Pakistan’s caretaker government formed a joint investigation team (JIT) to probe a “malicious” social media campaign against Pakistani judges. The decision was taken after the Supreme Court decided to uphold a ruling by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to strip the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of its election symbol. The decision was criticized by Khan supporters, journalists and political analysts on social media.
In recent months, several of Toor’s posts and videos have been critical of government agencies, Pakistan’s military establishment and the Supreme Court.
Toor’s lawyer, Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir wrote on social media platform X that she would challenge the court’s decision to extend her client’s remand.
“Completely unfair and unnecessary extension of 2 days remand by Judicial Magistrate in Asad Toor’s case,” Mazari-Hazir wrote.
“We will be challenging this order in revision. Our case is also fixed for hearing before Islamabad High Court tomorrow morning.”
Pakistani media bodies, including the Press Association of the Supreme Court and the Islamabad High Court Journalists Association last week filed a joint petition requesting the top court to cancel the JIT probing the alleged campaign against the judiciary.
Leading Pakistani media bodies have urged the government and judiciary to intervene to stop what they say is growing censorship and pressure from state institutions.
A media crackdown that began after the ouster of former prime minister Imran Khan in April 2022 and his very public falling out with the all-powerful army has morphed into widespread self-censorship by journalists fearful of repercussions if they criticize the state’s policies.
Pakistan’s military and other state institutions deny allegations they pressure media groups.
Pakistani court extends journalist Asad Toor’s remand in anti-judiciary campaign case
https://arab.news/9k8fm
Pakistani court extends journalist Asad Toor’s remand in anti-judiciary campaign case
- Asad Toor was arrested on Feb. 26 on charges of running an online campaign against state and its officials
- In January, Pakistan formed an investigation team to probe alleged online campaign against judiciary
Pakistan engages Saudi Arabia, China in bid to ease surging Middle East tensions
- Pakistan’s foreign minister stresses need for de-escalation in conversations with Chinese, Saudi counterparts
- Tensions in the Middle East continue to remain high as conflict between US, Israel and Iran intensifies
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar spoke to the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and China on Tuesday, stressing the importance of diplomatic engagement to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East as the Iran war intensifies.
Pakistan has constantly engaged regional countries in efforts to broker a ceasefire in the Middle East, after the US and Isreal launched coordinated strikes against Iran on Feb. 28.
Iran launched fresh attacks on Gulf countries on Tuesday morning, where it has targeted US military bases in recent weeks. In addition to firing missiles and drones at Israel and American bases in the region, Iran has also been targeting energy infrastructure which, combined with its stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, has sent oil prices soaring worldwide.
Dar spoke to Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan to discuss developments in the Middle East and ongoing deliberations at the UN Security Council, Pakistan’s foreign office said in a statement.
“DPM/FM shared Pakistan’s perspective, underscoring the importance of continued coordination and diplomatic engagement to support de-escalation and promote peace and stability across the region and beyond,” the statement said.
Dar, who also serves as Pakistan’s foreign minister, spoke to Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi over the telephone separately. The two discussed the evolving regional situation and broader global developments.
Dar underscored the need to ease tensions in the Middle East and the wider region during the conversation, the foreign office said.
Yi appreciated Pakistan’s constructive efforts aimed at promoting de-escalation and stability in the region, it added.
“The two leaders stressed the importance of de-escalation and emphasized the need to pursue dialogue and diplomacy in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter,” the foreign office’s statement said.
The conflict in the Middle East has hit Pakistan hard as well, forcing Islamabad to hike petrol and diesel prices by Rs55 per liter last Friday.
Pakistan’s government has also announced a set of austerity measures, which include closing schools and cutting down on government expenditures, as it evaluates petrol stocks and looks for alternative supply routes.
