Press Freedom in India Questioned

India is denying a group of five foreign journalists operating in India to visit the AJK (Azad Jammu and Kashmir) Legislative Assembly in Pakistan on the 5^th of August, 2021. This act calls into question the autonomy of the Indian Press.

The five members namely Emily Schinall (The New York Times), Peter Rober Hornung (ARD, Germany), Eoun Rocha (Reuters), and Alex Travelli (The Economist), along with the fifth member, Andreas Benedikt Babst (Neue Zurcher Zeitung, Switzerland), who is already present in Pakistan and would have returned with the group. They were to meet with the Pakistani Prime Minister, some officials did attend the AJK legislative assembly during their visit from 3^rd to 7^th August.

This invitation by the Pakistani Government was an attempt to promote its narrative on the ongoing military occupation of IIOJK (Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir). Due to restrictions on travel caused by the pandemic Covid-19, Pakistan proposed the travel to occur from the Wagah-Attari border crossing between Lahore (Pakistan) and Amritsar (India), which is only limited to use for diplomats and emergency situations.

Upon the denial of the Modi government at this travel request, it became largely concerning that the freedom of Indian media may be compromised. Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, took to Twitter to criticize this action by the Indian government, relating it to an

“Indication of shrinking space for free speech and independent journalism under a dictatorial regime.”

The denial of permission by India to 5 international journalists to travel to Pakistan, in which a visit to the Azad Kashmir Assembly was scheduled, is another damning indication of shrinking space for free speech and independent journalism under a dictatorial regime.

— Shah Mahmood Qureshi (@SMQureshiPTI) August 4, 2021

Another Pakistani leader, Fawad Chaudhry, The Federal Minister of Information and Broadcasting, highlighted the lack of freedom of expression in India and that independent journalist should be allowed to report the ongoing military siege, in all its truth.

India has refused to allow five foreign journalists permission to visit Pak, they were supposed to attend 5th August session of Azad Kashmir Assembly, so much of #FreedomofExpression we want India to allow independent Journalists to visit IOK and let them report facts

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) August 4, 2021

National Security Advisor Moeed Yusuf also commented on the situation.

These are actions of an insecure government that has much to hide and doesn’t want the world to see the reality of AJK and contrast it to the open jail that exists in IIOJK under Indian occupation. https://t.co/gmwvLCyt1D

— Moeed W. Yusuf (@YusufMoeed) August 4, 2021

Asad Umar, the Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives followed Chaudhry’s tweet, saying that by prohibiting media, India was attempting to ‘conceal’ the facts of IIOJK.

The difference is simple @fawadchaudhry. We want the world to see what is happening in azad kashmir and they want to hide what is happening in indian occupied kashmir. The difference between right and wrong cannot get more stark than this. https://t.co/iJP0XvE4d7

— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) August 4, 2021

Shireen Mazari, the Federal Minister for Human Rights, questioned whether the journalists would cover the government’s reluctance to allow them to visit AJK and reveal the Indian democracy.

Why did we expect otherwise from the fascist Modi regime? Question is whether these foreign journos will now report on this refusal and expose the growing myth of Indian democracy under fascist Modi? https://t.co/EfuYYbnTZD

— Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) August 4, 2021