Pak journalist union protest against 'abduction' of scribe

A union of journalists in Pakistan held a protest outside in Karachi against the abduction of senior journalist Waris Raza who was taken away allegedly by law enforcers from his home and released after several hours.

A union of journalists in Pakistan held a protest outside in Karachi against the abduction of senior journalist Waris Raza who was taken away allegedly by law enforcers from his home and released after several hours. The Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) demanded action against those responsible for the detention and asked the top judge to help prevent continuous attacks on journalists, Dawn newspaper reported. Waris Raza also attended the rally.

Pakistan law enforcement agencies on Wednesday detained veteran journalist Waris Raza from Karachi amid the ongoing tussle over the proposed media law, described by scribes as "unconstitutional". Raza is also a part of the 'Press freedom movement' that has been undertaken by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and several other scribe associations in the country against the new legislation that allegedly curbs media freedom in the country, Dawn reported.

After his detention, the veteran journalist was soon released by authorities. His brother Arif Raza confirmed that he returned home in the evening. The PFUJ has also condemned Raza's detention. These developments came a week after the PFUJ announced to hold a long march in the country against the proposed media legislation that has been termed 'unconstitutional' by several media bodies in Pakistan.

Despite being a democratic state, Pakistan continues to suppress free speech in digital spaces, stopping its citizens from participating in the working of the state by depriving them of a resourceful channel for vocalising their concerns. Report 2020 by Media Matters for Democracy (MMfD) says that the country performed poorly in all the indicators that determine free speech and that the COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated the digital censorship in Pakistan. (ANI)