Pakistan is adopting innovative measures to suppress dissenting voices. Pakistani authorities are suspending bank accounts of bird-sellers throughout the country. This is being done to indirectly boycott a journalist, Asad Ali Toor, who is criticizing government policies.
As per reports, bank accounts of bird-sellers across Pakistan are being suspended because they are selling birds to the journalist the government does not like.
In one such instance, a bird seller named Rozi Khan from Karachi was baffled when he discovered that his bank account was frozen on April 10. Rozi learnt that the bank received orders from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) of Pakistan to do so. Upon further enquiry, Rozi Khan was told that the action was taken as the bird-seller sold parrots to a journalist named Asad Ali Toor, a critic of the Pakistani government.
Rozi said, “I did not understand the question at first. I sell birds to people from every walk of life – lawyers, military officers, anyone,” adding, “I sold parrots to Asad as well. Why would they suspend my account for dealing with a customer who just happens to be a journalist?”
Several bird sellers punished for interaction with Asad Ali Toor
Bird-sellers from Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Sargodha told the same story of their bank accounts being suspended because they sold birds to Asad Ali Toor.
60-year-old businessman in Lahore, Nadeem Nasir’s cheque bounced because his account was closed for dealing with the journalist Toor. Nasir said, “I have known Asad for the last five years and have developed good relations with him. But the last time he purchased parrots from me was in 2023 and early 2024. Since then, there has been no business transaction between us,”
When Nasir inquired about the matter, FIA officials began asking questions about Nasir’s relationship with the journalist. “It was only after I managed to get in touch with some FIA officials through my contacts that they asked me about my relationship with Toor. That’s when I realised what had happened,”, Nasir said.
Asad Ali Toor, 40, a popular Youtuber and journalist from Islamabad is well known for his opinions against the Pakistani government, judiciary and the Pakistani Army. Pakistani FIA blocked the bank accounts of Toor, Toor’s father, mother, brother, a cousin and the accounts of all bird-sellers who sold birds to Toor.
