Hours after Pakistan abruptly expelled two Indian journalists posted there and asked them to leave the country within seven days, India on Wednesday termed the action as “regrettable and unfortunate” and said not allowing independent journalists to function was a “retrograde step”.
Pakistan had late on Tuesday expelled Shehesh Alex Philip (PTI) and Meena Menon (The Hindu) posted in Islamabad and asked them to leave without assigning any reason.The two journalists received a letter from Pakistan Government’s external publicity wing informing them that an unnamed “competent authority” had decided against any extension of their visas. Philip and Menon, the only two Indian journalists in Pakistan, were in Islamabad for just about nine months.
Pakistan has a system of giving visas to Indian journalists for a few months at a time and they are then required to repeatedly seek extensions. Philip’s two predecessors, KJM Varma and Rezaul H laskar, both PTI correspondents, spent more than six years each in Islamabad. Philip’s wife came to India in January to attend a family wedding but has been unable to go back because she was not issued a visa.
labelling the expulsion as a “retrograde step,” external affairs ministry spokesperson said free flow of information between India and Pakistan is an important confidence building measure and should be safeguarded by all concerned.“It is regrettable and unfortunate that the two Indian correspondents in Pakistan have been asked to leave prematurely and suddenly only a few months after their arrival there. Not allowing independent journalists to function is a retrograde step especially as free flow of information between India and Pakistan has long been recognised as an important confidence building measure,” the spokesperson said.
Asked if expulsion could be related to the ongoing ferment and debate in Pakistan about the media and the differences between various organs of state on freedom of media, he said, “We are surprised that there have been numerous allegations against India in the ongoing controversy in Pakistan on media freedom and the different views of Pakistan institutions thereto.”
The external affairs ministry also said India will take the matter with Pakistan adding the ministry was not informed about the development either by the Pakistan government in Islamabad or by its High Commission in Delhi.India and Pakistan has an understanding since late 1970s for posting of two mediapersons from each country. PTI has regularly posted correspondents in Pakistan since then and some Pakistani journalists were stationed in India from time to time, although currently there is none from Pakistan.
It had expelled New York Times correspondent Declan Walsh last year at a short notice without any explanation.Regretting Pakistan’s decision to expel its correspondent, PTI Editor-in-Chief and CEO MK Razdan said, “We have been given no notice, no reason and no rationale for this virtual expulsion by the Pakistani Government that keeps affirming that they want improved relations with India.”