ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi, Friday, wrote another letter to the prime minister in which asked the prime minister to direct the concerned ministries and departments to take remedial measures and pre-emptive actions to alleviate apprehensions and grievances of the journalists and media persons against incidents of harassment, physical abuse, and violence.

The president also attached a letter received by him from Arshad Sharif, a leading anchorperson, where he has drawn the attention of the president towards the incidents of harassment while quoting a few eminent journalists and information gathered by him through different sources.

The president said: “the Constitution urges the state to provide due rights and protection to individuals. Pakistan has always strived to do so, but in the case of journalists and media persons, if they feel pressurized, fair criticism within the bounds of law, freedom of expression and then democracy itself is threatened”.

In the letter addressed to the president, Arshad Sharif had alleged that some unscrupulous elements were threatening to endanger his life and requested the president to safeguard his fundamental rights as enshrined in Articles 4, 9, 10A, 14, 18, 19, and 19A of the Constitution of Pakistan.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022