World media urges Musharraf to probe arson attack on Business Recorder
ISLAMABAD- Major world media organisations have written to Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf to order a probe into the motive behind the arson attack on the Business Recorder office and arrest and punish the culprits involved.
A joint letter written to General Musharraf and released said that the World Association of Newspapers and the World Editors Forum, which represent more than 17, 000 publications in 93
countries, expresses serious concern at a violent attack on the office of the Business Recorder newspaper.
According to reports, on the evening of 18 May a violent mob, which was protesting against the recent. murder of Maulana Yousaf Ludhianvi, a leading Islamic scholar, attacked, ransacked and set fire to the office of the Karachi daily Business Recorder, the letter said.
A violent mob barged into the building and ransacked the newsroom, before starting a fire which soon engulfed the buildings it said. Cars, vans and motorcycles parked inside the newspaper building compound were also set ablaze. Although the reasons why the newspaper was singled out for attack remain unclear, newspaper officials reportedly believe that the newspaper was specifically targeted, the letter to Musharraf said.
“We urge you to do everything in your power to ensure that all journalists in Pakistan are able to carry out their work free from violence and intimidation.” it added.
The letter was jointly authored by Bengt Braun, the president of the World Association of Newspapers. Ruth de Aquino, the president of the World Editors Forum and Larry Kilman, the director of communications of the World Association of Newspapers.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:5/27/2000
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