Pakistani authorities have briefly arrested two prominent journalists in the eastern city of Lahore on Saturday for their "disrespectful attitude" against the Pakistan Army, the judiciary and women.
According to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Amir Mir and Imran Shafqat were booked on Saturday in the cases filed under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 and the Pakistan Penal Code, reports Dawn.
The duo were released on bail and upon separate bonds after questioning while charges would later be filed in court, the FIA said through a statement later in the day.
However, the arrests drew sharp criticism from human rights activists, political leaders, and the country's media.
Amir is the younger brother of Hamid Mir, who is himself a prominent journalist hosting a popular TV talk show but was taken off the air two months after criticizing the country's powerful military.
Since then, the elder Mir has not been reinstated by his channel, Geo News.
The FIA statement claimed that two YouTube channels the two journalists duo associated with, Googly and Tellings, were releasing messages attempting to weaken national security institutions and the judiciary while also weakening public trust in the institutions.
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Reacting to the development, Pakistan Peoples Party Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari condemned the arrests and demanded the release of Mir and Shafqat.
"Imran Khan (the prime minister) continues victimisation of political opponents and media critics to hide his incompetence and failures," he said.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) termed the arrests "inexcusable". "It is no coincidence that both are known as dissenting voices," the HRCP said.
Journalist Rauf Klasra, while calling out the arrests, said "silencing voices in media wont help".
"Show tolerance to those who don’t toe your line or refuse to fall in line. It will only bring [a] bad name to institutions," he said.
Former senator Afrasiab Khattak termed the incident an attack on "whatever remains of press freedom" in the country.
"Abduction replacing arrests (even under the blackest of laws) reflects the nature of unconstitutional regime ruling the country," he said.
