In a stark revelation, a new report exposes Pakistan’s dual standards: cracking down on journalists critical of state institutions while allowing notorious terrorists to operate freely. Laws are weaponized against reporters, who face summons, arrests, and imprisonment under the guise of investigations.
Meanwhile, real threats roam unchecked. Terror groups raise funds, recruit fighters, spread radical ideology, and promote jihad-fueled violence, ethnic cleansing, and regional expansionism with impunity.
Writing for PJ Media, Turkish journalist Uzay Bulut lambasts Western nations for designating Pakistan a ‘major non-NATO ally,’ calling it a testament to the West’s ‘confused, principle-less, and fact-free’ foreign policy in South Asia.
Bulut details how a Pakistani anti-terrorism court recently convicted eight journalists and social media commentators in absentia to life imprisonment on terror-related charges. These stemmed from online activities supporting jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan. One New York-based convict claims he was never notified of any proceedings.
Contrast this with the freedom enjoyed by jihad advocates. UN-designated terror outfits’ leaders openly preach violence at nationwide events. Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar addressed a member gathering on November 2 last year, urging attendance at ‘jihad in the light of the Quran.’
The report highlights surging activities by Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and their fronts. They host training sessions, meetings, workshops, and rallies across Pakistan, featuring overt pro-jihad and anti-India rhetoric that radicalizes attendees. Terror leaders even sermonize in mosques.
This unchecked ecosystem raises alarms about Pakistan’s commitment to counter-terrorism, especially as global partners turn a blind eye. The disparity underscores a troubling prioritization: dissent is terrorism, but actual terror is overlooked.