croatia at the luzhniki stadium in moscow. tens of thousands have been celebrating on the champs—elysees in paris, and there have been scenes ofjubilation in towns and cities across france, as fans revel in their country's second world cup victory. president donald trump has arrived in helsinki, where he's due to hold talks with vladimir putin later on monday. earlier, he described the eu as a foe, alongside russia and china. and this story is trending on bbc.com: a woman whose vehicle plunged off a california cliff has been found alive a week after she was reported missing. the 23—year—old survived by using the hose from herjeep's radiator to siphon water from a creek. that's all. stay with bbc world news. now on bbc news, it's time for hardtalk. welcome to hardtalk, i am stephen

sackur. injust a welcome to hardtalk, i am stephen sackur. in just a few days, pakistan will go to the polls to elect a new government. democracy rather than military dictatorship is becoming a habit, or is it? accusations are flying inside the country of military meddling, intimidation of critical media voices and tacit support forfriendly critical media voices and tacit support for friendly politicians. my guest today is one of pakistan's most influential figures, hameed haroon, the boss of the dawn media group. is pakistan's democracy in danger? hameed haroon, welcome to hardtalk.

thank you. you are in london but back home in pakistan there is a great deal of noise, energy, vibrancy to the last couple of weeks of campaigning in the pakistani elections, and yet you say that democracy in your country is threatened, it is in grave danger. why? | threatened, it is in grave danger. why? i think the fact of the matter is that democracy without representative government or responsible government is not really democracy. and if you are on the path to democracy, mopping up a militancy, or on the path of trying to create a new social architecture in pakistan, if you play around with the institution of democracy, you are going to do great damage to its

possibility under a new political dispensation. you are pointing a finger at the pakistani military. in a recent op ed in the washington post you wrote "there is an unprecedented assault by the pakistani military on the freedom of the press". pakistan has a very difficult and toxic history of relations between the military and the media. are you seriously suggesting that right now, with all the noise and vibrancy of an election campaign, there is an unprecedented assault on the free media? this has been two years in the making. in the last three months the making. in the last three months the intensification is major. i think that in the last three months all attempts have been made to mop up all attempts have been made to mop up critical media, independent media. the largest focus on the attack are the three oldest media groups, the three oldest newspapers, the chung news, combined, and dawn.

which is your group. that is right. dawn is publishing, it is able to give its voice of the election. this notion of yours, that something truly critical to the future of democracy is happening seems to fly in the face of the evidence on the ground. iam in the face of the evidence on the ground. i am reminded in the face of the evidence on the ground. iam reminded of the in the face of the evidence on the ground. i am reminded of the phrase in the english language of "never make the perfect the enemy of the good". maybe things are not perfect in pakistan's democracy today but if they are better than they have been in points in the past, maybe that is worth celebrating. i think it would be wrong to say that things are better than they have been in the past. i think one could dangerously assume things are not as bad as they might be but on the inside i think, the independent press, if we had acquired a —— a quiet press, it might not be such a great loss. but

despite everything else and despite the battering pakistan's press has taken over the the battering pakistan's press has ta ken over the last the battering pakistan's press has taken over the last decade, i think it isa taken over the last decade, i think it is a vibrant press and we have almost an obligation to try to keep almost an obligation to try to keep a vibrant press active not only for people in pakistan but for cross those in south asia and that part of the asian continent. you also surely have an obligation not to exaggerate. let's get to specifics. what are you saying is happening, you save a few months has been critical, what are you saying in the last few months in your opinion is so last few months in your opinion is so dangerous to freedom of expression and free press? for the first time and in this capacity i represent not only dawn but the 400 newspapers and magazines of the whole magazine newspaper society which i am president of. it is my task as president of all pakistan newspaper society to represent the threats and dangers. newspaper society to represent the threats and dangerslj newspaper society to represent the threats and dangers. i need to get to the specifics. 0therwise threats and dangers. i need to get to the specifics. otherwise you will stand accused at home not least by the military who are very angry that

you have raised such an stink here, you have raised such an stink here, you will be accused of misrepresentation. so give me the fa cts . misrepresentation. so give me the facts. what are the specifics? the first part of it has to do with the interruption, massive intervention in the distribution system in newspapers and of blocking television broadcast in pakistan. so dawn obviously has a distribution throughout the country. are you saying your newspaper cannot now be read by the people who want to read it across the country? in large parts of the country it can be read and in equally large parts it cannot be read. in certain cities like le khanna, until 24 hours ago, they haven't seen dawn in 24 months. blocking tv broadcasts... who is blocking it? if we were to believe the cpj, the committee to protect journalists, reporters some pontianak, and the press institute, then they indicate the military is

blocking it and the reason for this assumption is that the state institutions are acting with impunity clearly in sharif‘s government, it wasn't sharif who was blocking it. in the prime ministership that followed subsequently, it wasn't the government. you are talking about, as the phrase goes, some sort of deep state? i am talking of a deep state, mistakes in military strategy. i don't think the military has decided it is their task to demolish democratic institutions for ever. it is a mistaken strategy, it is poorly conceived on the eve of the elections. it is so widespread it is not a single incident. let me quote you if i may because you are making these charges on hardtalk, the words of the general, the spokesman for the army, "they have never tried to dictate or still less intimidate any media group or journalist and the military is

determined not to be dragged into politics". of course i think that the general is a bright man would have difficulty explaining his role at the press conference where he put up at the press conference where he put up pictures in front of all of the journalists of social activists, of other journalists and anchors journalists of social activists, of otherjournalists and anchors from television and declared that they we re television and declared that they were enemies of the state. it was almost an incitement to aggression and coercion against his people. some bloggers and some journalists have been threatened, some have been detained. well, you can call it abducted if you like. there was the famous case of one man who disappeared for a short while. many called that an abduction. so let us just be clear, but you saying that elements in the armed forces, under command, are going out and abducting journalists, threatening their lives? i am saying that in the eyes

of the public, there is a perception and in the eyes of the human rights and in the eyes of the human rights and international press organisations, and in the human rights organisations in pakistan, there is a strong perception that because of the impunity with which these abductions take place and the fa ct these abductions take place and the fact that there is no accounting for it, not holding anybody responsible oi’ it, not holding anybody responsible or picking up anybody as a consequence, they go on without comment. we have appealed to international bodies, we have appealed to the pakistani government, to the supreme court, to the chief of army staff and the ca reta ker the chief of army staff and the caretaker prime minister and surely if you were not involved you would at least look into the matter and give some report about why these are happening on such a perpetual basis. for the last three months the freedom network which combines incidents from eight press clubs in pakistan shows a massive intensification. let's bring this close to home. have your own journalist in the dawn media group being intimidated and threatened? have experienced this? there are has

been a level of attempted intimidation on social media as a result of a joint investigation team in which the military is included when the personal phone numbers and mobile numbers and the addresses of people being investigated are put on social media, this becomes an incitement for people to attack... are your journalist living incitement for people to attack... are yourjournalist living in fear? i think not only myjon —— journalist butjournalists about this censorship they have been forced to impose upon themselves. that's an important phrase. there is one story important in recent months is the story of the rise of the movement of the pashtun movement which has been demanding answers from the military about alleged disappearances, extrajudicial killings in parts of the country, particularly tribal areas of the country in the recent past. the allegation from journalist is that they have been required not least by

their own media organisations, not to report on the rise of this movement because the military doesn't want this movement to get publicity. is that happening in your media organisation?” publicity. is that happening in your media organisation? i think, with respect to the pashtun movement, it is terribly clear that there are instructions, or twerk two ways, to give them and to accept them are two different things, but, yes, there is a high degree of complaint from a large number of media houses, newspapers and television channels that the government... you have not directly a nswered that the government... you have not directly answered my question. you are the boss of dawn. you must know whether inside the organisation there are journalists who are not reporting on something that they feel they ought to report on because they are being intimidated. with one qualification, that dawn has an autonomous editorial setup and the editors take such decisions. but, yes, there is pressure. and there have been attempts by the military

to clap down on those media who are reporting the pashtun tahaffuz movement. i am ajournalist reporting the pashtun tahaffuz movement. i am a journalist and of course i am inclined to want to defend the freedom ofjournalist but i also have to consider what is happening in pakistan today. there isa happening in pakistan today. there is a real security problem in pakistan. we just sort yet again in pesce why suicide blast which killed a senior politician. again close to the run—up to the election —— pashawar. we have the army and the politician saying they could be targeted and other politicians named as potential targets. the army has a duty to the people of your country to secure the country first and foremost. is it not a real possibility that the kinds of things you are saying anti— inflammatory language you are using is undermining the ability of the military to meet that duty?” undermining the ability of the military to meet that duty? i think let me say first of all that i have tremendous admiration for the steps taken to curb the militancy over the yea rs by taken to curb the militancy over the years by army but that admiration does not extend to misconceived

policy of trying to intimidate the media and of trying to prevent newspapers and television from getting information a cross for an election. i think... my getting information a cross for an election. ithink... my point is slightly different. my point is that the way you are using your language and the inflammatory ideas you are spreading undermines the army, first of all, the military‘s ability to safeguard the election without people thinking, "0h safeguard the election without people thinking, "oh my god, the troops around the polling stations must be trying to fix it in some way" because you planted the seed of doubt of neutrality into people's heads. i think to be terribly fair the media is not quite as far from, steve, as you say. i think it is the military which has planted the seed of doubt with respect to the execution of their policies. so, when you see, and we understand from the pakistani election commission that they have called for literally hundreds of thousands of serving and retired security force personnel to

be on duty at polling stations around the country, on election day, july 25, are you saying to me that it will feel you with fear? no, i am not saying that, it will be a good step to prevent the polling process from going wrong. i am speaking of the atmosphere of pre— poll rigging which has taken place where the selection of candidates, decapitation or political party heads, the instituting of cases and investigations against politicians at different levels, i am not against the accountability process. iam not against the accountability process. i am not for corruption in the political system. i am against the selective application. well, yes, now you have put it out there. let's get to the nub of this in many ways and the military would see it that way. you talked about what you see as the decapitation strategy that you say and have said for the last couple of years is being pursued in pakistani politics, particularly targeting know was sharif, who fell foul of a raft of allegations about

alleged properties owned in london, which he hadn't declared, forcing his resignation and he has even been convicted of a crime. now, you and your media group it seems have chosen to be deeply sympathetic to mr sharif. why have you done that? you mistake to different phenomena. the first one is we have carefully put across whatever evidence is available on the corruption of politicians including nawaz sharif and other parties to the extent that it can be justified. and other parties to the extent that it can bejustified. the problem is not there. i think it is the selective method by which these politicians have been eliminated. more level playing field might have been better. it always seems you have had a hotline to nawaz sharif‘s people. in 2016, you got hold of

lea ked people. in 2016, you got hold of leaked reports saying that nawaz sharif as prime minister had demanded the military take action, more affect if action against terror groups something that deeply embarrassed the military and they we re very embarrassed the military and they were very angry about it and wanted to do when you got the leak from and ever since then there has been a battle going on between you and the military, primarily over nawaz sharif. is it wise for a journalist to get into that? i have the state very clearly that the report was never leaked to dawn. it was a title made up by the persecuted as of dawn. you published the leaked material. where it was leaked is perhaps immaterial. you pose as the defenders ofjournalistic integrity and impartiality and yet too many in

pakistan, not least in the military, you are not seen as entirely independent and impartial because over the last couple of years you've been increasingly giving a platform to one particular player, nawaz sharif, he would run into trouble because of allegations of corruption. i was speaking about the fa ct corruption. i was speaking about the fact that there was no leak from nawaz sharif or is party. the news which dawn printed with conversations in respect to meetings was available at different points in pakistan and internationally and, in fa ct, pakistan and internationally and, in fact, that material was procured internationally. its revocation process. let's not get hung up on the details. you, this proclaimed independent, impartial, neutral media group covering practised any politics is a supportive sympathetic of nawaz sharif and his daughter who

are now, it has to be said convicted criminals. there is an element of orchestration in that... where is your evidence and who is orchestrating it? if you look at the social media, the attacks on dawn, you might get some idea that there is some larger presence by the irs pr on the social media. pakistan intelligence is going after you... not going after us as anybody they feel stands in their way. it is important to say that, although it is not a contest, we are hardly contenders for power. there is a civil military narrative which went wrong and dawn was a messenger and a large part of that is shooting the messenger dog your premise was that pakistan's democracy was facing dangers but in the way you are

creating them. pakistan intelligence services are meddling in politics, you are telling me, in wanting to decapitate one political player and one can infer that they therefore have other politicians they would like to see successful in the forthcoming election. is that what you believe? that they have favoured candidates? not nawaz sharif but others? i think there is a preferred face of pakistan they would like to see... who? the security services and the establishment... who would they favour? there appears to be an attempt for a second level string leaders and a patch up coalition which would take directions from the deep state. you are not using namespace you mean deep state. you are not using namespace you mean imran deep state. you are not using namespace you mean imran khan and his pta party? there are times that his pta party? there are times that

his index goes up with the security state and at times are the people in his party and named. you havejust said something potentially explosive in pakistan politics that imran khan's forgers go up and down depending on the intervention of the deep state. —— fortunes. you cannot say these things without having absolutely irrefutable evidence.” think evidence today in pakistan must, to a certain extent, be looked through influence of human rights organisations and political commentators stop i not making a case against the state but a case for the state to conciliate itself with the media and tried to keep the normal institutions of democracy to continued... but you are making a case like that. the undermining of

freedom of expression, you're making a case against the state and it comes back to the credibility of the entire democratic system of pakistan. far from trying to build it up appeared to slow grave seeds of doubt about the system.” it up appeared to slow grave seeds of doubt about the system. i am afraid, stephen, as president i elected to represent the rights of the media. the justified elected to represent the rights of the media. thejustified rights of the media. thejustified rights of the media. thejustified rights of the media. there is so much more i could go into which perhaps could be brought in. —— boring. if you ask me to produce 20 people from different cities, hawkers, distributors, who have been stopped from distributing dawn and other newspapers...” have been stopped from distributing dawn and other newspapers... i get that point. before we finish, what you think will happen over the next

few days? nawaz sharif is about to return any moment now and it is unclear whether he will be detained and then we have the elections. you have a very bleak view of how this election is going to pan out.” have a very bleak view of how this election is going to pan out. i met perhaps more optimistic than you think but, yes, i was never bleak view when important provisions of the constitution is like article 19 which guarantees freedom of press, and 19 name which guarantees freedom... let me put it to you blu ntly, freedom... let me put it to you bluntly, you will have grave doubts about the legitimacy and validity of the election. imran khan only one 30 odd seats but this time they could

conceivably be part of a coalition government in the country and you appear to be saying to the people of your country that, if that is the case, you better have grave doubt about the legit and —— legitimacy of the next government. it is about the information and dissemination of information and dissemination of information leading up to the electoral process which has been more than a little unfair and i think that we need to curb that. something we need to change, some things we need to improve so that the freedom of press is one of the characteristics that characterises pakistan. a final thought, you seem, talking about being bleak, you seem pessimistic about the degree to which pakistani culture and levels of tolerance and openness and dialogue are not being improved by access to information, the internet revolution, the fact that virtually

every pakistan it has a telephone which could be wired to the internet. the level of intolerance, in terms of the state and community is not changing. is that true? no, it is changing and changing for the better but we appear to be in a transitional period and it is better to respect democratic institutions to respect democratic institutions to ensure there is a place for it. u nless to ensure there is a place for it. unless you change the climate, the cultural climate, we alter the basic values, i venture to say that however bad partition was, our current situation could be worse.” think so. it is of the spirit of intolerance which public service, governance, public service is viewed. the militants have their effect on pakistan. but pakistan is not a militant state top it is lack everybody else in the world. we would like to be free and if i can

stand up, however small, would like to be free and if i can stand up, howeversmall, however effectively, for that freedom, i am only doing my duty and a tight to put that forward as much as possible. hameed haroon, it has been a pleasure to have you on a hardtalk. thank you very much indeed. hameed hello. with temperatures as high as 31 celsius, sunday was another hot day across eastern areas of england throughout the weekend, with scenes like this, it was england and wales that had the lion's share of the sunshine and warmth. sunday brought some useful rain to of parts of northern ireland scotland and eastern scotland held on to some sunny spells. this is the weather system that brought some rain to northern ireland and parts

of scotland, it's moving southwards in the next 24 hours and behind it, it's introducing a somewhat cooler but more noticeably fresher feel to weather. into north—west scotland and northern ireland as monday begins, sunny spells here, one or two showers developing. central and eastern parts of scotland, early outbreaks of rain clear away with sunshine following. for england and wales, many with a dry start. early on in the west, this strip of cloud, outbreak of rain, some thundery bursts. all that slowly moving east during the day. maybe something decent on the garden. as you can see, still some heat, where the sun lasts longest, east anglia, south—east england, near to 30 celsius. behind that system, it's has cooled a little. not much, but it's feeling fresher. a few showers around towards eastern areas. the fresher air follows on behind. so perhaps monday night is going to be a little bit easier for sleeping with temperatures like this, and a couple of cooler nights are to come this week.

as tuesday begins, that fresher feel to things is down across all parts of the uk but there will be a lot of sunshine to begin with and the cloud is going to build, and you can pick out one or two showers developing here and there but they will be very hit and miss, probably most reliable on tuesday into northern parts of scotland where some could be heavy and possibly thundery. and it is cooler where it's been so hot by several degrees but nowhere as cold and wherever you get to see sunshine, it will feel pleasantly warm but it's also feeling that bit fresher. the flow of air coming in from the atlantic, an uneventful weather pattern. pressure is not as high as it's been but it's not that low. we are left with several sunny days, the cloud builds and there is a chance of catching a shower. it's not quite as warm as it's been. temperatures in south—east england will head up as we go deeper into the week. to sum up, a fresher feel, a little cooler.

some sunshine, the chance of a shower. the chance some places will avoid them and another, after monday, mainly dry week. this is newsday on the bbc. i'm rico hizon in singapore. the headlines: rhapsody in blue — france win the world cup, beating croatia 4—2 in moscow in a thrilling final. crowds fill the centre of paris, as a nation celebrates winning football's biggest trophy for a second time. i'm kasia madera in london. also in the programme: president trump arrives in helsinki for face—to—face talks with russia's president putin, and makes a list of america's adversaries. now, you wouldn't think of the european union, but they're a foe. russia's a foe, in certain respects. china's a foe, certainly economically, they're a foe.