Government Deports Foreign Journalist for Attempting to Interview Imran Khan in Jail
British-American author and journalist Charles Glass, who was trying to meet former Prime Minister Imran Khan in jail, was deported from Pakistan on Wednesday. The government canceled Glass’s visa and gave him only five hours to leave the country, a move seen by many as an attempt to silence political opposition.
At 73, Glass is a well-known journalist with a long career at Newsweek, ABC TV, and The Telegraph. He was in Pakistan to give Imran Khan, founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, a chance to speak while he is in prison.
Glass was outside Adiala Jail with Khan’s sister, Aleema, and staying with journalist Zahid Hussain in Islamabad when police arrived. They informed him that his visa was canceled and that he needed to leave immediately. The police helped him collect his belongings and arranged for a flight to Abu Dhabi, which was scheduled for 4 p.m.
The deportation has caused controversy, with accusations that the PML-N government is trying to suppress Khan and his party. Shahzad Akbar, a former aide to Khan, criticized the move on social media, raising concerns about press freedom and political bias.
