ISLAMABAD: The Human
Rights Council of the United Nations has asked the government of Pakistan to
clarify the reported persecution of media and media owners, including Mir
Shakil-ur-Rehman.
In a letter, David
Kaye, a special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom
of opinion, and Leigh Toomey, the vice-chair of the Working Group on Arbitrary
Detention, have asked the government to provide detailed information on the
legal grounds for the arrest and detention of Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman, including
the reasons why the charges against him have been pressed 34 years after the
alleged offence.
The letter said,
“Why is Mr Shakil-ur-Rehman held in pre-trial detention and explain how these
measures are compatible with international standard related to the right to
liberty and security of the person and the right to freedom of expression, as
enshrined in articles 9 and 19 of the International Covenant on civil and
political rights.”
It has also
expressed concerns over allegations of barriers and restrictions to freedom of
expression by media, and explain the steps taken by the incumbent government to
ensure that media can enjoy its right to freedom of expression free from
threats, harassment and intimidation of any sort.
The Working Group on
Arbitrary Detention has said that it may transmit the case through its regular
procedure in order to render an opinion on whether the deprivation of liberty
was arbitrary or not.
The working group
has also asked the government to halt the alleged violations and prevent their
recurrence and in the event that the investigations support or suggest the
allegations to be correct, to ensure the accountability of any person(s)
responsible for the alleged violations.
The UN Human Rights
Council has referred to information it has received which includes that on
March 12, 2020 in Lahore the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested Mir
Shakil-ur-Rehman on allegations that he had illegally leased land in 1986.
NAB alleged that the
transaction had been conducted in a manner aimed to favour Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman
through the then chief minister of Punjab.
Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman
was not provided with or allowed any legal assistance before or immediately
after his arrest. He is currently detained by NAB at its detention facility in
Lahore. It is reported that the arrest and detention aims to restrict his
freedom of expression, and that of the media group he owns.
The Human Rights
Council has also stated that on March 13, 2020, the Pakistan Electronic Media
Regulatory Authority (Pemra) reportedly directed cable distributers throughout
the country to stop transmitting Geo TV.
“According to the
information received, the channels were taken off air without giving them a
reason or a hearing,” the UN body said, adding that it has been reported that
NAB had threatened over the past couple years reporters, producers, and editors
over the media group’s coverage of NAB, and had threatened to use the country’s
media regulator to shut down its broadcast channels.
The council said
that in July 2019, Pemra interrupted a live interview with opposition leader
and former president Asif Ali Zardari on GEO TV, shortly after it began. The
same month, the authority blocked three television news channels — Capital TV,
24 News HD, and Abbtakk News Network — after the broadcast of speeches by
opposition leaders.
Newspaper: Dawn
