Poor security, intimidation by both security forces and militants, and limited access to Balochistan and the former FATA impeded the efforts of human rights organizations to provide relief to victims of military abuses and of journalists to report on any such abuses. Militants closed key access roads and tunnels and attacked communications and energy networks, disrupting commerce and the distribution of food and water; military operations in response created additional hardships for the local civilian population, Pakistan xxx before 2022.
In several cases ingovernment regulatory agencies blocked cable operators and television channels that aired critical programs. The amendment also required an expedited trial that would conclude preferably not later than six months of taking cognizance of the case.
Journalist Arshad Sharif fled the country in August after he was charged with several violations of law for antimilitary comments he made on his television show. Women journalists lamented that the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act of was flawed and urged the government to amend the law. He is also barred from running in upcoming Pakistan xxx before 2022 in January Chairman Imran Khan's message to the people of Pakistan shared through his family on the 10th of October:.
Forbidden products It is illegal to import alcohol and pork products. Media organizations generally engaged in self-censorship, especially in reporting news regarding the military, Pakistan xxx before 2022, religious extremism, and abuse of blasphemy laws. Other reporting tended to be relatively objective with a focus on facts, Pakistan xxx before 2022, which journalists generally regarded as less risky than analysis.
In October, Arshad Sharif was killed Pakistan xxx before 2022 the police in Kenya. The Pakistani government did not amend or repeal blasphemy law provisions that have provided a pretext for violence against religious minorities and have left them vulnerable to arbitrary arrest and prosecution.
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Media houses also reportedly fired outspoken journalists deemed to be a threat to their revenues or continued ability to operate. Police at times detained family members to induce a suspect to surrender.
Transgender activists reported being targeted by social media campaigns, fuelling anti-transgender rhetoric and inciting violence and hate speech against them. Co-habitation Co-habitation by an unmarried couple is also illegal. Both local and foreign journalists reported harassment and intimidation by government officials.
There were also reports the government attempted to control or block websites that advocated Baloch independence by using surveillance software. The economic contraction caused by COVID decreased private revenue further, rendering outlets more dependent on government advertising. Pakistan was leading the investigation, which continued as of November, Pakistan xxx before 2022.
Militant and terrorist groups often attacked religious minorities. Nevertheless, a nationalist party spokesperson stated one of the deceased, Allah Www.galsway.com Rahimoon, was not a terrorist but a political worker who had taken part in Pakistan xxx before 2022 against enforced disappearances, Pakistan xxx before 2022.
According to the UN Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance, there was one new misconduct allegation against a Pakistani peacekeeper serving in a UN peacekeeping operation. The Council of Islamic Ideology urged the government to form a committee to review the legislation. On February 20, President Arif Alvi enacted amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act that increased the prison term for online Pakistan xxx before 2022 on social media platforms from three to five years, Pakistan xxx before 2022.
On September 28, a Chinese national was killed and two Pakistan xxx before 2022 injured when an unidentified assailant opened fire inside a dental clinic in Karachi.
Sharif had left Pakistan citing threats to his life. Pakistan xxx before 2022 European Union is Pakistan biggest trading partner. Authorities, particularly in the military, increasingly sought to restrict online space to silence dissidents and curtail content deemed critical of the military.
Security forces allegedly abducted journalists. Many outlets resorted to self-censorship, Pakistan xxx before 2022, particularly when reporting on religious or security topics. The government fined private television channels for alleged violations of the code of ethics and for showing banned content. Gill was subsequently released on bail. Your passport must have six months validity. In raids throughout the country, police confiscated caches of weapons, suicide vests, and planning materials.
To publish within Pakistan-administered Kashmir, media organizations were required to obtain permission from the Kashmir Council and the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs, and journalists therefore depended largely on information provided by the government and military. However, his government announced no investigations in any cases. Media outlets reported the government increasingly used the infrastructure of the media system, as well as government advertising, which made up a large portion of media revenue, to suppress information deemed threatening.
Nongovernmental organizations NGOs reported intimidation, harassment, and surveillance by government authorities. Media personnel reported cases of journalists being drawn into legal proceedings and forced out of jobs, strangling them economically. Illegal drugs Illegal drug use no matter what the drug carries stiff penalties, including prison terms. On June 27, unidentified assailants shot and killed a polio worker and two Hi roommate officers assigned to polio vaccination teams in Datta Khel, North Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Observers reported that civil courts seldom issued judgments in such cases, and most cases were settled out of court. Typhoid Check with your doctor well in advance of travelling to see if you need any vaccinations for Pakistan. The bill also proposes criminal liability for death caused in police custody. While the overall number of documented violence in the preceding year decreased, the trend of targeting journalists working for digital Pakistan xxx before 2022 continued, Pakistan xxx before 2022, according to Freedom Network, a domestic media rights watchdog that tracks violence against journalists and attacks on freedom of expression.
Between October and September18 transgender people were reported by the Trans Murder Monitoring Project to have been killed in Pakistan, the highest figure in Asia. On 24 February, Zahir Jaffer was sentenced to death for the torture, rape and murder of Noor Mukadam in Convictions were otherwise very low in cases of gender-based violence, making the guilty verdict against Zahir Jaffer significant.
Women journalists in particular faced threats of sexual violence and harassment, including via social media, where they had a particularly strong presence. ISIS-K claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistan xxx before 2022 man, who had been jailed on the charges sincedenied committing blasphemy and claimed his landlord and a rival business owner encouraged his accuser to instigate a blasphemy case against him for personal and financial reasons. The government blocked websites because of allegedly anti-Islamic, pornographic, blasphemous, or extremist content.
Security forces in Balochistan continued to cause the disappearance of pretrial terror suspects, along with human Step night sleeping porn activists, politicians, and teachers, according to the Baloch Human Rights Council. Journalists suffered high levels of violence from both state and nonstate actors, including political parties. Several domestic intelligence services monitored politicians, political Pakistan xxx before 2022, suspected terrorists, NGOs, employees of foreign entities, and media professionals.
The PTA closely coordinated with other ministries in its enforcement efforts, Pakistan xxx before 2022. In Julyactivists claimed that the transgender community in Karachi was being targeted in an organized social media campaign to instigate violence against its members. According to Freedom Network, a media advocacy group, between May and April, there were 86 cases of attacks and other forms of violence against journalists and other media workers.
Photography We advise you not to take photographs at military establishments, airports or any infrastructure, including bridges and dams or from aircraft. Passports It is advisable to take a number of photocopies of your passport with you.
Pakistan - Department of Foreign Affairs
Journalists experienced physical threats, economic coercion, harassment, and violence when reporting on sensitive topics critical of the government, Pakistan xxx before 2022, ruling political party, and military establishment. Pakistan xxx before 2022 carried out numerous attacks on political party offices and candidates.
In Julythe Pakistan Senate unanimously approved a critically important bill outlawing police torture and otherwise seeking to prevent deaths in police custody, Pakistan xxx before 2022. Nongovernmental Impact: Nonstate actor violence against media workers decreased, but an environment where militant and criminal elements were Pakistan xxx before 2022 to kill, abduct, assault, and intimidate journalists and their families led journalists, particularly in the tribal areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, to self-censor.
On April 8, the Islamabad High Court struck down the ordinance. Journalists reported an increase in abductions and torture. Media outlets that reported on topics authorities viewed as sensitive were often the targets of retribution. The last prior allegation was submitted in and concerned sexual exploitation and abuse by a Pakistani peacekeeper deployed to the African Union-UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur, and it allegedly involved the rape of an adult.
In addition, travellers should be aware of precautions to take to reduce their risk of acquiring typhoid infection including: wash hands before eating avoid ice and drink only bottled water avoid risky foods — undercooked food, raw, unpeeled, unwashed fruit and vegetables or fruit and vegetables washed in unsafe water More information is available on the Health Protection and Surveillance Centre website.
On January 19, a Rawalpindi court sentenced a woman to death for insulting the Prophet Muhammad through caricatures, remarks, and posts she made on WhatsApp and Facebook. As of November, Pakistan xxx before 2022, the Pakistani government was still investigating that allegation.
However, far-reaching procedural and institutional reform — not resorting to the death penalty — were still needed to tackle the endemic problem of violence against women. The terrorist group Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack.
There was poor transparency and accountability surrounding content monitoring, and observers believed the government often used vague criteria without due process.
There were numerous reports of criminal suspects killed in exchanges with police and the military. Journalists accused the existing and Pakistan xxx before 2022 governments of harassing and threatening journalists producing critical analyses. The Domestic Violence Prevention and Protection Bill was not enacted by the National Assembly, despite being passed by the senate in Several highly publicized cases highlighted the ongoing problem of violence against women. They reported pressure to produce articles with a promilitary viewpoint.
Militants and terrorist groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan TTPLashkar-e-Jhangvi, and Islamic State Khorasan Province, targeted civilians, journalists, community leaders, security forces, law enforcement officers, foreigners, and schools, killing and injuring hundreds with bombs, suicide attacks, Pakistan xxx before 2022, and other forms of violence.
Independent media NGOs reported incidents of gender-based harassment against women journalists in the country. Rights activists reported the government contacted Twitter and asked the service to take down accounts of activists deemed problematic, Pakistan xxx before 2022. Ramadan Always be aware of your actions and take care not to offend other cultures Pakistan xxx before 2022 religious beliefs, especially during the holy month of Ramadan or other religious festivals, Pakistan xxx before 2022, or if you intend to visit religious areas.
In October, in Ghotki, a man with physical disabilities was forcibly drowned at the shrine where Pakistan xxx before 2022 lived by a visitor after being accused of blasphemy. Radd-ul-Fasaad is a nationwide counterterrorism campaign aimed at consolidating the gains of Operation Zarb-e-Azbwhich countered foreign and domestic terrorists in the former FATA.
The government continued to use network access as a tool to exert control over media outlets. On April 26, Pakistan xxx before 2022, three Chinese nationals and a local driver were killed and four others including a Chinese national were injured in a suicide bombing carried out by a woman in the University of Karachi. Authorities seldom punished police for illegal entry.
Despite the amnesty offers, illegal detention of Baloch leaders and the disappearance of private Baloch citizens continued. Also, in April, Gharida Farooqi, a renowned television journalist was subject to threats of rape. We advise caution and discretion at all times. The government pressured distributors into restricting distribution or changing channels of outlets deemed problematic, incentivizing media companies to censor their content. On November 14, the Human Rights Council of Balochistan claimed individuals were forcibly disappeared and alleged extrajudicial killings were reported in the province from January to October.
The PTA is responsible for the establishment, operation, and maintenance of telecommunications and has complete control of all content broadcast through telecommunication channels. Although there were no procedures for administrative redress, informal reparations were common.
The attack prompted days of protests and street sit-ins as thousands of protesters demanded the government arrest the culprits and take action against the rise in militant attacks in Swat. Militant groups continued to target Chinese nationals. Blasphemy allegations continued to spark violence against both religious minorities and Muslims.
In October, Arshad Sharif, a journalist and well-known supporter of Imran Khan, was killed in Kenya, Nice body Asian wot he had allegedly taken refuge after facing threats in Pakistan.
There were reports that authorities routinely used wiretaps, monitored cell phone calls, intercepted electronic correspondence, and opened mail without court approval.
Human rights in Pakistan Amnesty International
Additionally, journalists working in remote and conflict-ridden areas lacked basic digital and traditional security skills, which increased pressure to self-censor or simply not publish a story.
His death led to strong public condemnation, and the prime minister ordered an investigation. The death penalty is mandatory for blasphemy, and dozens of people remained on death row as of late Members of the Ahmadiyya religious community continue to be a major target for prosecutions under blasphemy laws, as well as specific anti-Ahmadi laws.
Such criticism may result in legal, political, or commercial reprisal. By law the government may restrict information that might be harmful to the national interest.
In August, media reported law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom warned Pakistani dissidents living in London of credible information of threats against them.
Muslim culture Pakistan is an Islamic Republic and you should respect local traditions, customs, laws and religions. Police sometimes ignored this requirement and on occasion reportedly stole items during searches.
Nonetheless, human rights activists said the numbers from the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances were unreliable and more cases remained than were reported. They reported receiving threats, having to go into hiding and amending their day-to-day routines to avoid being targeted. The restrictive Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act gives the government sweeping censorship powers regarding internet content, which authorities used as a tool for the continued clampdown on civil society.
Journalists alleged PEMRA continued to issue editorial directives to television stations and media outlets, compelling them to refrain from critical reporting on state institutions. The law prohibits such actions, requiring court-issued warrants for property searches, but there were reports the government failed to Pakistan xxx before 2022 these prohibitions, Pakistan xxx before 2022. In addition, threats, harassment, Pakistan xxx before 2022, abductions, violence, and killings led journalists Pakistan xxx before 2022 editors to practice self-censorship and follow editorial directives Sexo cubano jovencitas.Hot the government.
The government restricted some language and symbolic speech based on hate speech and terrorism provisions in the law. Pakistan has been on the gray list since Disability rights and mental health advocates welcomed the move as an important first step.
Police expanded their presence into formerly ungoverned areas, particularly in Balochistan, where military operations became normal, although such operations often were not reported in the press. Other Conflict-related Abuse : Personnel protecting polio vaccination teams remained a target of attacks. He said he took the step after the Imran Khan-led government reneged on its promises concerning Balochistan. Journalists reported regular denial of permission to visit conflict areas or requirements to travel with a military escort while reporting on Pakistan xxx before 2022 in conflict areas.
Shahbaz Gill, a senior official with the opposition party Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf PTIwas arrested in Islamabad in August on charges of sedition and incitement to mutiny after he said on a television program that junior military officers should not follow orders that are against public opinion.
Killings : There were reports government security forces engaged in extrajudicial killings during operations against suspected militants throughout the country. The law had not been passed by the National Assembly at time of writing. On October 10, unknown assailants on a motorcycle opened fire on a van in Swat District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing the driver and injuring two children. On Pakistan xxx before 2022 4, Pakistan xxx before 2022, at least 62 worshippers were killed and others injured when a suicide attacker detonated a bomb inside a Shia mosque in Peshawar.
A policy that would allow media outlets to tap into subscription revenues was stalled in a Supreme Court battle. The law provides for freedom of expression, including for members of the press, but constitutional restrictions exist. The law if passed would be the first time that Pakistan enacts a comprehensive definition of torture in line with Convention Against Torture.
In cases pursued under the Antiterrorism Act, law enforcement agencies have Pakistan xxx before 2022 powers, including of search and seizure without a warrant.
Law enforcement agencies also acted to weaken terrorist groups, arresting suspected terrorists and gang members who allegedly provided logistical support to militants, Pakistan xxx before 2022.
In May, journalists Sami Abraham, Arshad Sharif, Sabir Shakir, and Imran Riaz Khan were charged with abetment of mutiny and publication of statements causing public mischief by criticizing state institutions and the army in their journalistic work and unspecified Pakistan xxx before 2022 media posts.
One NGO pointed out that at least three of 86 reported abuses from May to April were against women journalists. As of December 31, terrorism fatalities stood atPakistan xxx before 2022, compared with fatalities inaccording to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, a database compiled by the public interest advocacy organization Institute for Conflict Management, which collects data on terrorism and low intensity warfare in South Asia.
These included two of the four journalists killed. On August 15, unknown attackers killed two police officers providing security to polio workers in Kachagraha, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Embassy Contact Please note that if you require assistance in the case of an emergency while the Embassy is closed, contact the main Embassy number, 00 90and leave a message on the Duty Officer voice mailbox. On June 20, Pakistan xxx before 2022, suspected militants killed two laborers from Sindh working on a road under construction in Hoshab, Balochistan.
On October 23, Sharif was killed when Kenyan police shot at Pakistan xxx before 2022 car in an alleged case of mistaken identity in the outskirts of Nairobi.
Obscene literature, a category the government defined broadly, was subject to seizure. Imported movies, books, magazines, Pakistan xxx before 2022, and newspapers were subject to censorship for objectionable sexual or religious content. B lasphemy laws restrict individual rights to free speech concerning matters of religion and religious doctrine. Authorities reportedly used Pakistan xxx before 2022 rules to silence broadcast media by suspending licenses, threatening to do so, or by reassigning the cable channel number of a targeted outlet without notice so that its programming would be hard or impossible to find on most televisions.
Freedom House reported that internet freedom remained restricted as the government continued to use internet shutdowns, platform blocking, and arrests to suppress unwanted online speech. Political, sectarian, criminal, and ethnic violence in Karachi continued, although the incidence of violence and gang wars were in decline.
Censorship or Content Restrictions for Members of the Press and Other Media, Including Online Media: Government authorities used laws to prevent or punish media criticism of the government and the armed forces. The law includes a clause that restricts reporting in any area where a military operation is in progress.
LGBT Homosexuality is illegal. Those on death row are often from the most marginalized sections of society. On December 7, Pakistan xxx before 2022, the Supreme Court ordered the government to form an independent joint investigation team. There were limitations on transmission of Indian media content.
Despite the Transgender Rights Act oftransgender people continued to face violence and discrimination. Government censors reviewed foreign books before allowing for reprinting. Local Laws and Customs Local laws and customs Remember, Pakistan xxx before 2022, the local laws apply to you as a visitor and it is your responsibility to follow them.
Pakistan - United States Department of State
Violence and Harassment: Security forces, political parties, militants, influential landlords, and other groups subjected media outlets, journalists, and their families to threats and harassment, Pakistan xxx before 2022. Individuals may petition the courts to seek redress for various human rights abuses, and courts often took such actions.
A child bystander was also injured during the incident. Throughout Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the newly merged districts, there continued to be attacks by militant groups on security forces, Pakistan xxx before 2022, tribal leaders, and civilians. Blasphemy and anti-Ahmadi laws laws prohibiting Ahmadis Pakistan xxx before 2022 self-identify as Muslims restricted publication on these topics.
At least 12 of the 86 abuses were against digital media users. In both urban and rural areas, journalists continued to face heinous crimes, including a report of an acid attack on a woman media worker. Individuals may seek redress in civil courts against government officials, including on grounds of denial of human rights.
The military and paramilitary organizations conducted multiple counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations to eradicate militant safe havens. There were credible reports the government used technology to arbitrarily or unlawfully surveil or interfere with the privacy of individuals.
The government also used technologies and practices, including internet and social media controls, blocking or filtering of websites and social media platforms, censorship, and tracking methods.