Five newspapers banned
On May 25, 2004, the provincial government in Pakistan’s southern province of Sindh banned eight newspapers in the city of Karachi on charges of “publishing obscene photographs” and “blackmail”. Police also sealed their offices and arrested newspaper owners and staff.
According to press reports, heavy contingents of police raided the offices of Morning Special, Evening Special, Zamana, Daily Special and Mid Special, as well as the Mashriq Press, where the newspapers are printed.
The provincial Home Department claimed that it took action after receiving complaints that the newspapers were involved in blackmailing and publishing obscene material.
Salahuddin Hyder, provincial advisor to the chief minister, said the papers had been warned repeatedly not to publish obscene photographs, and notices were issued by the Home Department, but the newspapers ignored the notices. The Home Department was monitoring the newspapers for the last four months and finally decided to take action on May 25.
Those arrested include Ashfaq Jafri, Hanif Dawami, Liaquat Ali, Aleem Azad, Nisar, Tariq Ali, Mehboob, Abrar, Danish, Aziz, Ashfaq Jaffery, Iqbal Saif, Ghulam Shah, Ali Angora Abrar and Ghulam Mohammed.
Background –
Two of the papers, Morning Special and Evening Special, were previously banned in 2002, but the ban was lifted after their editors and publishers gave a written undertaking not to publish obscene material.
Source: IFEX
Date:5/26/2004
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