Government asked to compensate affected newspapers
ISLAMABAD- Chief editor of a daily published from Sindh has demanded of the government to immediately compensate the affected newspapers, which were closed down due to government’s Advertisement Policy for regional newspapers and threatened to observe hunger strike from August 1 in Islamabad until the demands were met.
This was stated by Ghulam Rasul Sahito, chief editor of a regional daily published from Hyderabad. He along with nine members of the newspapers embarked upon a long march from Hyderabad to Islamabad.
The participants of the long march reached Islamabad on July 16 and have been here ever since awaiting response from the government on their basic demand that the newspapers that have been forced to shut down be given adequate compensation to revive their publications.
There has, however, been no significant response from the government as yet. While the government has committed to restoring the original Advertisement Policy that existed before the Musharraf’s coming into power, it has not made any attempt to rehabilitate the affected newspapers and their employees. Hundreds of families have been deprived of their livelihood.
The daily Sindh is being published from Hyderabad since early 1996. Ghulam Rasul Sahito said that Sindhi journalism had affected a lot owing to criticism against feudalism, dictatorship, and imperialism.
The systematic targeting of Sindhi newspapers by the establishment since the Musharraf came into power, while largely suppressed by the mainstream media, exposed the fact that this government (as its predecessor military government) did not believe in the freedom of the press at any level.
Since late 1999, the government’s policy on newspaper advertisements was biased against many regional newspapers, forcing them to abandon operations and so far 12 Sindhi newspapers have been forced out of business.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:7/31/2003
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