Crackdown on Political Opposition is causing the suppression of free speech in Pakistan

08-06-2023

V. Sivasankar

Team Pakistan Researcher, 

Global Human Rights Defence.

The long-standing suppression of the freedom of expression and association in Pakistan continues to prevail as former Prime Minister Imran Khan accused the government of unleashing a “reign of terror” on his political party - Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (Gul, 2023).

Party members of PTI have been included in a list of 25,000 such political dissidents compiled by the government using video and digital surveillance methods to link them to allegations of terrorist activities (Basit, 2023). This crackdown comes following the riots on May 9th organised by members of the PTI that resulted in violence and the destruction of many military installations with a death toll ranging from 10 to 40 people (n.a., 2023). Many of the targeted politicians in this list have condemned the riots and disassociated themselves from Khan and PTI in order to avoid further implications and sentencing. The trial of civilians in military courts has further resulted in alarm bells ringing in global human rights communities. Ironically, while members of pakistans largest and most popular political party are being persecuted for such allegations, extremist forces and terror groups including Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) (n.a., 2023).

The continued misuse of such counterterrorism laws is resulting in the breakdown of democracy in Pakistan by setting a dangerous precedent for the punishment of opposing voices. As the censorship and restrictions of mainstream media increases, Khan continues to use Twitter as a platform to voice his dissent against the government and call for immediate elections to reinstate democratic order in the country.

Sources and further readings:

1.     Basit, A. (2023) Implications of Pakistan’s terror tagging of political opponents, The Diplomat. Available at: https://thediplomat.com/2023/06/implications-of-pakistans-terror-tagging-of-political-opponents/ (Accessed: 07 June 2023). 
2.     Gul, A. (2023) Pakistan’s Ex-PM Khan says ‘reign of Terror Unleashed’ On Party, VOA. Available at: https://www.voanews.com/a/pakistan-s-ex-pm-khan-says-reign-of-terror-unleashed-on-party-/7125200.html (Accessed: 07 June 2023).
3.     N.a. (2023a) Banned sectarian outfit ASWJ holds rally in Karachi to support Pakistan Army, Dissent Today. Available at: https://dissenttoday.net/news/banned-sectarian-outfit-aswj-holds-rally-in-karachi-to-support-pakistan-army/ (Accessed: 07 June 2023). 
4.     N.a. (2023b) Pakistan: Excessive force against violent khan protests, Human Rights Watch. Available at: https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/05/11/pakistan-excessive-force-against-violent-khan-protests (Accessed: 07 June 2023).
5. N.a. (2023c) Those involved in May 9 violence won’t be spared: Pakistan PM - times of India, The Times of India. Available at: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/those-involved-in-may-9-violence-wont-be-spared-pakistan-pm/articleshow/100400719.cms?from=mdr (Accessed: 07 June 2023).