A story published in BBC on June 2, titled Uncovering Pakistan’s secret human rights abuses, looks into Pakistan’s long battle with the militants due to the post-9/11 “war on terror.” It carries the accounts of locals as well as of Manzoor Pashteen, the leader of Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM). The government formally lodged a protest with the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) for publishing such baseless and one-sided stories and also handed over a 19-pages dossier to BBC.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in its statement said that the story “carries conjecturing and implicates Pakistan Army without any proof”, and is “in violation of journalistic ethos.” The report has been funded by India. The whole movement of PTM is financially dependent on India to work against Pakistan’s interests.

The Indian government, on the other hand, has been suppressing innocent Kashmiris for four decades by illegal use of force and by putting them into jails and interrogation centers under draconian laws. Whenever someone demands a Plebiscite, he is jailed. The Indian forces, stationed in Kashmir, have been given a freehand to kill whosoever they choose to, but the world community is silent on this situation.

AFIA AMBREEN,

Rawalpindi.