A foreign journalist known for his work on the Middle East and someone who sought to seal an interview with jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan was deported back to his home country with a 5 hour ultimatum after his tourist visa was revoked, according to local media.
The American Author and journalist, Charles Glass had worked with prominent outlets such as Newsweek, ABC TV and The Telegraph and was an independent freelance journalist when he sought to secure an interview with the imprisoned Imran Khan in Pakistan.
However, report suggests Glass, who was recently spotted outside Adiala jail in Rawalpindi alongside Khan’s sister Aleema, was at the residence of Islamabad-based senior journalist Zahid Hussain when they were visited by a large police contingent around noon, who forcefully asked the journalist to leave the country within 5pm the same day.
“Glass wondered how he would secure a flight and said his luggage is still at [his lodgings]. The ASP offered to accompany him to the hotel to collect his luggage and informed him that there was a flight to Abu Dhabi available at 4 pm, which he should take to leave the country. The ASP said he had a clear order to deport the journalist,” the Dawn quoted sources as saying.
It was reported that Glass was initially taken to his lodgings to collect his luggage, and then deported to the Middle East.
Shahzad Akbar, a former aide of ex-PM Imran Khan, also mentioned the incident on social media.
“There are reports of the deportation of British journalist Charles Glass who was visiting Pakistan to see ImranKhan PTI at Adiala prison,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
The report said it was possible that his tourist visa was cancelled because Glass had been trying to secure an interview with Khan, the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party.
Kohsar police station chief Shafqat Faiz, whose area the journalist was residing in, denied that any such activities occurred within their jurisdiction. The Dawn newspaper also attempted to get a response from Islamabad police chief Ali Nasir Rizvi regarding the issue, but he did not reply.
The journalist’s deportation has sparked worries about press freedom and access to information in Pakistan.
( with input from agency)
The American Author and journalist, Charles Glass had worked with prominent outlets such as Newsweek, ABC TV and The Telegraph and was an independent freelance journalist when he sought to secure an interview with the imprisoned Imran Khan in Pakistan.
However, report suggests Glass, who was recently spotted outside Adiala jail in Rawalpindi alongside Khan’s sister Aleema, was at the residence of Islamabad-based senior journalist Zahid Hussain when they were visited by a large police contingent around noon, who forcefully asked the journalist to leave the country within 5pm the same day.
“Glass wondered how he would secure a flight and said his luggage is still at [his lodgings]. The ASP offered to accompany him to the hotel to collect his luggage and informed him that there was a flight to Abu Dhabi available at 4 pm, which he should take to leave the country. The ASP said he had a clear order to deport the journalist,” the Dawn quoted sources as saying.
It was reported that Glass was initially taken to his lodgings to collect his luggage, and then deported to the Middle East.
Shahzad Akbar, a former aide of ex-PM Imran Khan, also mentioned the incident on social media.
“There are reports of the deportation of British journalist Charles Glass who was visiting Pakistan to see ImranKhan PTI at Adiala prison,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
The report said it was possible that his tourist visa was cancelled because Glass had been trying to secure an interview with Khan, the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party.
Kohsar police station chief Shafqat Faiz, whose area the journalist was residing in, denied that any such activities occurred within their jurisdiction. The Dawn newspaper also attempted to get a response from Islamabad police chief Ali Nasir Rizvi regarding the issue, but he did not reply.
The journalist’s deportation has sparked worries about press freedom and access to information in Pakistan.
( with input from agency)