Pakistan: Journalist Gul Bukhari being threatened with terrorism charges sets a dangerous precedent for women journalists

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Gul Bukhari.jpg

PAKISTAN, February 15, 2020 — Several media outlets have been reporting that Gul Bukhari is being intimidated with terrorism charges because of her critical view of state policies. 

The FIA has supposedly summoned Gul for her “defamatory remarks” against state institutions. It is being reported that she has been ordered to submit her response within 30 days of receiving the notice. If Gul - who is known for being vocal in her criticism of the state - does not respond, a case involving “terrorism charges” could be registered against her. 

The document being circulated states that the Interpol could be contacted for Gul’s extradition, and that her property in Pakistan could be confiscated, too. “If she fails to appear [before the FIA inquiry], we will register a court case under PECA  [Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act] and the Anti-terrorism Act,” read the document circulating on Pakistan’s media.

Surprisingly, despite widespread media coverage of the notice, Gul denies having received it, and the FIA is yet to confirm sending it.

A local English daily The News has also reported that the PTI government has urged the UK authorities to take action against Gul Bukhari for using “British soil for her nefarious activities” against the state. The daily’s correspondent has exclusively seen a four-page document written by Pakistan’s government stating that the journalist has been “abusing freedom of speech rules and western values”.

While the use of legal tactics to silence journalists is not new to Pakistan, such cases are not common for women journalists. We hope that the FIA will drop the charges against Gul, and that this does not become a trend in the future. It will only censor dissent and critical voices, and put journalists in danger. 

We spoke to Gul to understand her position on the matter. She confirmed that no such notice had been received by her. 

“I am bewildered and disturbed by the news and the threats. I was actually shocked when friends sent me the news first asking me of the cases against me. Most people assumed I had ongoing cases, or orders of court against me,” she told us. 

“The breaking news on ARY portrayed me as a criminal and absconder. It was very defamatory in nature. It was also designed to instill fear in me - saying if I didn’t respond/return I’d be slapped with terror charges and hauled over through the Interpol,” Gul said and added that if she does receive any such notification, she is going to challenge it in court. 

Despite being out of Pakistan, Gul is afraid for her physical safety. She recalled that three to four weeks ago, she found out that staff members from the Pakistani High Commission in London were sniffing around for her residential address.

“I’m fairly sure physical harm is also intended. And perhaps this notice business resulted from the fact that they were unsuccessful in finding my address,” Gul said.

Reports suggests that the FIA’s Counter-Terrorism Wing has started 35 inquiries against “anti-state elements" who were "involved in spreading inciteful propaganda against national security agencies, judiciary and the government”. Most of these cases were related to cyber-terrorism. 

FIA officials have not yet commented on the matter nor have they confirmed the veracity of the document floating across all media in Pakistan. 

The idea that the state would use legal tactics to silence journalists is nothing new. Nor is the idea that Gul could be attacked despite not being in Pakistan. In January, Nasrullah Chaudhry was senteced to five years in prison under terrorism charges. Blogger Ahmad Waqass Goraya was attacked outside his home in Holland, where he lives in exile. 

The state in Pakistan is using dangerous tools to silence dissidents and this very attempt against Gul only brings the state’s insecurities to the forefront.

Gul, who currently lives in exile, took a jibe at the entire episode in this tweet where she wrote, “I’m a terrorist. Please fear me.”

Gul is a very vocal critic of Pakistan’s state institutions, especially the military, and this is not the first time she has been threatened. In 2018, she was abducted in Lahore while on her way to appear on a talk show. Her vehicle was stopped and she was taken away by unknown men. However, she returned after several hours, according to an announcement by her husband.

Anyone who criticizes state institutions in Pakistan is vulnerable to threats and violence. The act of threatening dissenters and silencing their views has long been associated with the powerful state institutions. If what has happened with Gul is true, then this way of persecuting journalists, particularly women journalists, exposes the prejudiced face of the state to the world.

We, at The Coalition, denounce the legal persecution of Gul. As a citizen of the country, she has the right to share her viewpoints about governance and state institutions in Pakistan. We demand an end to using law against journalists in the country. The country’s state should be more open to criticism and stop suppressing press freedom in the country.