ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Russian Federation has expressed its serious dismay after a Russian journalist Ruslan Bekniyazov was expelled minutes before the Joint Press Briefing of the Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and his visiting Ukrainian Counterpart Dmytro Kuleba at the Ministry of Foreign of Affairs in Islamabad on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, the Senior Correspondent of the Russian ITAR-TASS News Agency in Islamabad Ruslan Bekniyazov was forced out of the Press Room at the Foreign Office in Islamabad while he was waiting along with other Foreign Affairs Correspondents before the Joint Press Conference of the Pakistani and Ukrainian foreign ministers.
“It is inadmissible to violate reporters’ rights to access information,” the Russian Embassy in Pakistan wrote on Twitter saying that it stands in solidarity with the Russian journalist Ruslan Bekniyazov.
The Embassy further told that it requested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad to provide clarity on the incident.
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is on a bilateral visit to Pakistan from July 20-21, 2023.
DND News Agency expresses its dismay over foreign office fiasco when Russian News Agency reporter @RBekniyazov was denied to cover presser of Pak FM and Ukrainian Foreign minister. @ForeignOfficePk should stop this practice of pick and choose of journalists.
— Dispatch News Desk (@dispatchnewsdes) July 20, 2023
@RusEmbPakistan Russian reporter should have not been invited at first instance if Ukraine Embassy had some issue with him. Once he had been allowed then he should not have been sent out of the room. Disgracing event indeed
— Dispatch News Desk (@dispatchnewsdes) July 20, 2023
The Pakistan Daily reported that a day before the mentioned Joint Press Stakeout, Pakistani Foreign Office Press Wing collected and registered the names of Foreign Office Correspondents and Ruslan Bekniyazov was also enlisted to cover this media briefing a day ago by Pakistani Officials.
پاکستان اور یوکرین کے وزرائے جارجہ کی مشترکہ پریس کانفرنس سے پہلے روسی صحافی کو دفتر خارجہ سے نکال دیاگیا
روسی تاس نیوز ایجنسی کے اسلام آباد کے رپورٹر ریسلن بیکنی یازوف کو دفتر خارجہ اسلام آباد حکام کی جانب سےپریس روم چھوڑنےکاکہاگیا
یوکرینی سفارتی حکام کی جانب سے مجھے پریس… pic.twitter.com/R2ccUDOUI5
— The Pakistan Daily (@ThePakDaily) July 20, 2023
When journalists in the Press Room acknowledged that Ruslan Bekniyazov was missing from the Press Briefing, and asked the Spokesman Mumtaz Zahra Baloch about the reason, she was totally unaware of the matter.
Journalists are objective & balanced while covering press briefings..#Russian #journalist Ruslan Bekniyazov working for @tass_agency was expelled minutes before joint press briefing of @BBhuttoZardari and his Ukrainian FM @DmytroKuleba at @ForeignOfficePk in Islamabad today.Why? pic.twitter.com/Ipifj1nmJx
— Mateen Haider (@haider_mateen) July 20, 2023
Reportedly on the pressure of Ukrainian diplomat… #UkraineRussianWar can not be resolved in such animosity.. https://t.co/ZOFkRSAEmg
— Mateen Haider (@haider_mateen) July 20, 2023
A day after claiming that Pakistan was pursuing a policy of peace & reconciliation on regional conflicts and also denying being part of any bloc politics; the step of forcing to leave journalist of @tassagency_en is totally uncalled for and highly condemnable 👎@ForeignOfficePk https://t.co/JnJmlQg1VD
— Shafek Koreshe (@shafeKoreshe) July 20, 2023
