LONDON: British security officials and European intelligence services have warned Pakistani exiles living in the region that their lives are in danger.
According to the report, exiled Pakistanis who criticize the military have been warned by local authorities that they will be targeted.
“Pakistan is a strong ally of the UK, but the UK must be ready to target these individuals on British soil,” details said, pointing to the end of freedom of press after Imran Khan came to power.
The report further said, “The concern now is that Pakistan is moving towards targeting critics abroad by suppressing criticism within its borders.”
A man was charged last month in London with plotting to assassinate political activist Ahmed Waqas Goraya in the Netherlands, it said.
It also said that political analyst Ayesha Siddique received a warning from the Metropolitan Police, attributed to a case in the late 1990s. The warning was issued by British authorities who believe her life is in danger. “Officers asked her husband if anyone had offered her money when he asked his wife to return to Pakistan,” it detailed.
The report also quoted YouTuber and columnist Gul Bukhari, who fled to the UK after being abducted in Lahore in 2018, saying the Met police had warned him not to share his home address with anyone.
The Guardian’s report includes a statement from Mark Lyall Grant, the former British High Commissioner to Pakistan, who said, “I expect them to take note and respond appropriately, legally and/or diplomatically. ”
“If British citizens or UK-based legal practitioners are harassed or threatened by the ISI or anyone else, the British government will definitely take an interest,” he said.
Asked to comment on the report, Federal Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry said, “It is based on unfortunate and conspiratorial ideologies. This is propaganda against the ISI.”
Fawad Chaudhry also rejected threats against journalists in Pakistan, saying the existence of hundreds of news channels “negates the impression that the media is under pressure”.
“The fact that international powers are squeezing countries by imposing sanctions and freedom of expression is a new term for blackmail. When it comes to freedom of expression, Pakistan is probably the freest country,” he said. “It is so free that there is no culture of defamation laws here. If that existed here, journalists would go bankrupt.”
When asked about the man arrested in connection with the conspiracy to assassinate Waqas Goraya, the minister said, “They may have their own problems, it has nothing to do with us.”
Indian Series on Muslim Conquests Dubbed Desi ‘Game of Thrones’
Ghotki Train Accident: Several Railway Officials Held Responsible
Stay tuned to Baaghi TV for the latest news and updates!
