On sunday night. Press Freedom Campaigners say 140 journalists were threatened or attacked with some claiming that democracy itself is under fire. I am mobeen azhar, and i have been hearing from those who say they have been attacked in an effort to silence them. In may 2023, imran riaz, one of pakistans most well known journalists, with millions of followers online, is arrested at Sialkot Airport as he tries to leave the country. In his last speech before his arrest, imran riaz criticised the powerful Pakistani Military for gagging journalists. He blamed the military for ousting former Prime Minister imran khan in april, 2022. Many believe it was this speech that got him arrested. It wasnt the first time the journalist had paid a price for his critique. There were claims in the media that the tv channels that were broadcasting his show were threatened with being taken off air unless imran riaz was silenced. Amidst the firestorm, he resigned. Imran riaz is no longer in detention. Is this your. . Yeah, thats my. His lawyer, Mian Ali Ashfaq, represents dozens ofjournalists and social media activists whove been charged with sedition. Whoever is in power, the silencing ofjournalists is nothing new. According to the annual World Press Freedom index published by reporters without borders, pakistan currently ranks 150 out of 180 countries. So where are we heading . Today, Mian Ali Ashfaq has agreed to introduce me to his star client. En route, he gives me some background to the case. He was charged with multiple charges, one of them which is sedition causing the public incitement against the armed forces, things like that. In your assessment, are things getting worse for journalists in pakistan . I dont think in the last 70 plus years in the history of pakistan, such number ofjournalists have been victimised. And at the scale with which they have been victimised in last 18 months, so its like we can draw a fair and honest conclusion that maybe there is some state policy to shut up all those voices. For 142 days, imran riaz was kept in Solitary Confinement without access to a lawyer. In that time, he lost one third of his body weight and he is still recovering. Assalamu alaikum. Im mobeen, very nice to meet you. In that period of 142 days, did you truly believe you would be free again . Sometimes i thought that. This kind of life is more difficult than death. Alhamdulillah, i have recovered almost 95 , i am ok with my speaking ability. But still i have some stammering issues. What do you know about the people that took you . Everyone knows everything in pakistan. I have seen him on tv, and i know how bombastic he normally is. And hes not that man anymore. He was a shell of himself. And yes, he was prepared to answer questions, and he was prepared to share part of what happened to him, but when it comes to the subject of why he was arrested, who it was, were these individuals or agents of the state, theres a lot of implication, but not a lot of explicit information. And the most rational information i can think of, there, for him deciding that he does not want to share that in this moment is fear. Imran riaz wont name his captors, but the Organisation Reporters Without Borders have suggested that the way he was held points to the involvement of military intelligence, or the isi. Asad toor is a youtuber who has been unrepentant in his critique of the military� s grip on pakistani life. He believes his uncompromising analysis and huge online following have planted him firmly on the military� s radar. In may 2021, Asad Ali Toor was seriously assaulted in his own home. He says one of his attackers claimed to be an officer of the Inter Services intelligence, or 151, a powerful branch of the military a claim we have been unable to verify. Astonishingly, the men Asad Ali Toor says attack him can be seen on cctv. So this was captured on the cameras within the Apartment Block . Yes. And just to be clear, this guy is, you say he identified himself as being from the isi. Yes, this guy in the trousers and shirts. Were you worried for your life . Yeah, once i thought they were going to execute me. He come in front of me holding a pistol and he came here and just. At that time i thought, no, its over. He immediately took out the magazine of his pistol, and then he sat on me and he started hitting on my elbows. It was like i never had such pain in my life. Asad ali toor tells me the attackers got a call, and soon after they fled. He was left bloody, gagged and bound. Then i gathered some strength, feed were also tied, so i started walking like this. And i came out. I started making noise, and people came and untied me. He called for help, and needed Urgent Medical attention. But before he went to hospital, there was something he needed to take care of. I said first we will go to the cctv room. We have to make a video. I said i know who attacked me but i will not speak right now because i know the minute i take the name, all evidence will be vanished. After making a copy of the cctv footage on his home, asad headed to the hospital. Can you believe, within half an hour, 300 to 400 journalists were present in the hospital. It was a tipping point. We were consistently getting attacked. The community was so angry that now in our houses we are not safe, that was the main reaction. Despite asads injuries, his testimony and the cctv footage now widely seen, two years after the attack, police have still not identified his attackers. After hearing first hand about the Pressure Journalists tell me they are under to tow the government and military line, i reach out to someone who should be able to shed light on what is happening. Theres a minister of information, hes called Murtaza Solangi, and he himself was a journalist. And, in the past, he has been an outspoken advocate forjournalistic freedom, so i have a couple of numbers for him and im going to try to set up an interview. Here is Murtaza Solangi back in may 2021, before he became a minister. He spoke out publicly in support of Asad Ali Toor after the attack, demanding that those responsible be held to account. We know hes not happy about a previous interaction with the bbc, so its unclear how this might go. 0k, ivejust had this. It took six minutes. Thank you mobeen, text me your questions, please. Its a Big Night In Islamabad at the Human Rights Council of pakistan annual awards. Hello. Assalamu alaikum. My names mobeen, im from the bbc. Its here where i first meetjavaria siddique, the widow of arshad sharif, who was killed in 2022. She is here being honoured for her efforts to bring her husbands killers to justice. Arshad sharif was an outspoken critic of pakistans ruling elite. He openly supported the ousted Prime Minister, imran khan, and is reported to have received threats to his life as a result. During an attack, he fled pakistan. Fearing an attack. After arriving in the uae, he was told he didnt have the paperwork to remain. It was then that he left for kenya, where he went into hiding. A month later, news broke. Arshad sharif had been shot in the head at a police roadblock. Javaria siddique is still looking for answers about the death of her husband. Assalamu alaikum. Javaria its mobeen. What do you know, at this stage, about the circumstances of his death . I think they have stopped him, they have recognised him, and then they shoot him on the instructions, as per the guard, because it is a Target Killing. You said this was a Target Killing. Who do you believe ordered that Target Killing . The people who threatened him in pakistan said were going to shoot you in the head if you keep exposing the corruption of the ruling elite and the powerful people of pakistan they did it. You seem to be suggesting that it is agents of the pakistani state that ordered the killing of your husband. Yes. Clearly. Because. He was threatened in pakistan and in the same way he was killed in kenya. He must be at a good place with god, but. I am at a very miserable place. Withoutjustice, without him, this is not a life which i am living. Do you believe that there will ultimately be justice for your husband . Joining the dots in the way that you have, even though you have been extremely cautious, theres an element of danger, because youve made it very clear. Why did you choose to speak to me today . To getjustice for my husband. This is the only. Because. Javaria siddique is notjust dealing with the grief of losing someone that she loves. Theres also fear there, because at one point she said i dont know want to tell you what i know because im scared of having my fingernails pulled out. Someone has to know what happened to her husband and someone needs to be held accountable. Hi. How are you . Asad ali toor is going further than speaking out about experience with authorities. He is taking the 151 to court. It will be the first of its kind. Im not sure if anybody else has taken the matter to court. I think they are not prepared that i would come out with a Police Report and i would report about this. I think they never they thought that he is beaten and now he will be scared and he will not maim anything. As part of you pursuing this, the fact that you want to set a precedent, that you want to stop this happening to otherjournalists . That has to stop. We have to live in an environment which is not an environment of fear. A rule of fear should end in this country. Hello. Hi. Today, hes meeting with the human rights lawyer imaan mazari. She tells me, since 2016, 47 journalists have been charged under the countrys controversial prevention of Electronic Crime act. The majority of these cases are relating to journalists and their expression, theres never any conviction, and, in fact, they are either acquitted or the state withdraws those charges eventually. The idea is to basically force the journalist to incur certain costs of mounting a legal offence, a lot of emotional, physical exhaustion. So thats basically the purpose of these cases. The fact that imaan mazari is representing Asad Ali Toor has made her a target, as well. There have been death threats, rape threats, at a meeting between various Law Enforcement agencies, and someone that they knew informed me that this was a plan that was being made, that if they were able to get me into custody they would do that because they want to traumatise me into silence. God forbid if something were to happen. My family would stand by me, which a lot of women in this country dont have the luxury to say. So i think there is a lot im also gratefulfor, so i dont let these things really getting my head or affect me. Whatever is going to happen is going to happen you just have to deal with it. After much back and forth, the minister for information and broadcasting, Murtaza Solangi, agreed to an interview, and to hear the multiple allegations of journalists attacked by the authorities. 0n the day our meeting was scheduled, i got a call from his pa, saying there was a problem. The minister did say yes to an interview. He did say yes, yeah. So thats the issue. If im being blunt about it, a lot of these allegations involved military. The military is effectively pressuring and gagging journalists. He is the minister for information and broadcasting if hes not going to these questions, who is . After multiple attempts to rearrange the interview with the minister, i decided to ask him directly about the claims id heard. Its been about five days, now, back and forth with the minister, and i think its fair to say its just been an effort to stall and stall and stall again. So i have had a tipoff about his schedule for the day and i know he will be doing an interview at this tv station its called ptv. Are you rolling . Yeah. Assalamu alaikum, minister. Its mobeen from the bbc. Ive been trying to get hold of you. I have been busy. Im sure. I want to talk to you about Press Freedom in pakistan. Are you worried about the state interfering with journalists . If you want to force me for an interview. I am not forcing you, we have been corresponding for many days now. I understand, but we have Serious Trust deficit with the bbc, because they have violated. I can assure you your interview will be treated fairly and accurately. Stand back do you think the military is putting Pressure Onjournalists in pakistan . I want to show you this picture of a journalist who says he says he was beaten by someone from the intelligence service. Could you please. Do not act like paparazzi. Crosstalk act act act like a bbcjournalist. Please do not grab my phone. When you see an image like that, and this individual says that he was. I will not answer your questions. So why did you agree to an interview and then pull out . Did i give you a time . Did i give you a minute . Yes, you did six oclock on wednesday. Six oclock on wednesday. Thank you minister. Its quite a strange situation when the minister for information and broadcasting, whos meant to be the person thats accountable for the decisions of government, when it comes to journalists, essentially is saying that he doesnt want to engage in any questions. Is that because he himself doesnt want to respond to these questions and these very serious allegations, or is it because he has. Or is it because there is pressure on him from other sources . We approached the pakistani government and the military about the allegations. They declined to provide an on the record reply, but a Security Source with the authority to comment told us. Whatever the outcome of the recent election, theres little optimism amongst journalists about shifting policy towards the press. Government after government has curtailed Press Freedom. Threatening the very idea that pakistan is a democratic nation. Journalists who dont fall in line say theyre paying a heavy price in the fight for free speech. Hello there, good evening. Some very mild air across the uk at the moment. And some sunshine today. It felt rather springlike in the best of the sunshine. Lots of blue sky here in belfast but a wet start to the day for many with heavy downpours of rain. A lot of Surface Water around already with the ground already saturated. There are a number of Flood Warnings in place across the midlands and down into somerset. More rain to come as we head through next week. Staying very unsettled and wet and windy at times. Temperatures will also be dropping back down to the seasonal average. A bit more rain to come in the forecast for some of us tonight. That comes courtesy of this Cold Frontjust sinking down from the north west. A short spell of possibly quite heavy rain across many North Western areas of scotland, down through Northern Ireland and into north west england. That band of Rain Fizzling out as it sinks southwards and eastwards. Reaching the midlands by the time we get to tomorrow morning. This is how we start off the day tomorrow. Temperatures are a little bit lower than they have been. Still mild for the time of year. That band of rain continues to push further southwards and eastwards as we head through Monday Morning but it is fizzling out as it goes. Just cloud, a few showers perhaps for the South East Of England and east anglia and then these will brighten up. For most of us it will stay dry through the day tomorrow with sunny spells. Showers edging into Western Scotland and Northern Ireland by the end of the day. Temperatures are just a little bit lower by a couple of degrees. Some slightly fresher feeling air behind that weather front. Some Cooler Conditions behind the next cold front that will be sinking again southwards and eastwards on tuesday, bringing some heavy rain across North Western scotland through Northern Ireland and again into Northern England and potentially western wales by the time we get into the afternoon. Cooler feeling conditions behind. A band of showers moving into Western Scotland. Ahead of the front, its still very mild, 13 14 celsius with a Southwesterly Wind and possibly some brighter skies. But we will see some heavy rain as we head through wednesday. Strong, gusty south westerly winds. And another cold front introducing some chillier conditions as we head into thursday. Some of the showers could be wintry over higher ground, particularly across scotland, as we head through the end of the week. Bye bye. Live from london. This is bbc news. The World Health Organisation says gazas Second Biggest Hospital is now completely out of Service Following an israeli raid. Israel condemns remarks by the president of brazil after luis Lula Da Silva accuses israeli troop of committing genocide. A womans been arrested on suspicion of murder following the deaths of three children in bristol. And an explosive night at the baftas for 0ppenheimer as the biopic about the father of the atom bomb picks up Mutiple Awards including best actor best director and best film. Hello, im tanya beckett, good evening. We start tonight, with the humanitarian crisis in gaza. Today the World Health Organisation said that an israeli raid has left the biggest hospital in Southern Gaza unable to function. It comes as refugees have continued to crowd into rafah, where around 1. 5 Million People are now seeking safety, close to the border with egypt. Well get the latest on the ground in a moment. But first. Last november we reported on the case of a young woman and her disabled brother, tala and yazid, in rafa. They were trying to escape but were repeatedly turned away at the border. Our special correspondent fergal keane has been following their story. We came back to no electricity, no food for today. Shes been a constant caring voice from within the siege. And one more day closer to my brother running out of medications. And were still here
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