Four Abbottabad journalists released on bail
ABBOTTABAD- Four journalists, charged under blasphemy law, were granted bail by the district and sessions judge, Abbottabad.
Senior lawyer Syed Shabbir Hussain Shah had filed the bail application on behalf of the journalists in the court of district and sessions judge, Musadaq Hussain Gillani on July 11. The four newsmen were released from District Jail, Abbottabad, and brought to the Abbottabad Press Club in a procession Wednesday.
The released journalists thanked their colleagues for untiring support and efforts made for their release. Office-bearers and members of the Press club also thanked all the concerned parties for cooperation in the case including, district Khateeb Maulana Shafiq-ur-Rehman.
President Hazara Union of Journalists (HUJ) Sardar Abrar Rashid also thanked the New York based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Paris-based Reporters Sans Frontiers (RSF) for their support to the jailed journalists.
The workers of a local Urdu daily Mohasib were arrested on June 3 under sections 295-A and 295-C on publication of a controversial article in its May 29 issue. The writer of the article had contested the claims of certain ulema regarding beard.
The said article was termed as blasphemous by local clergy and subsequently, on June 3, Waqar Gul Jadoon, president of Khatm-e-Nabuwat Youth Force, filed a complaint against writer of the article Jamil Yousaf, daily Mohasib and its management with the Cantt Police Station.
Police sealed the newspaper’s offices and arrested Muhammad Shahid and Muhammad Haroon, managing editor and sub editor of the daily on June 3 while Shakil Ahmed Tahirkheli, the paper’s news editor was picked up from his house on the morning of June 4.
Despite bail before arrest, Muhammad Zaman Khan, Editor of Mohasib was arrested from his residence on the night of June 8. Zaman Khan, another employee of the newspaper, was also arrested under section 107 of the CrPC.
Meanwhile, the released journalists declined to comment or issue a statement.
Earlier, both national and international journalists bodies had strongly reacted to the detention of journalists and demanded their immediate release.
Reporters Sans Frontiers (RSF), a Paris-based journalist organization, had protested the sealing of daily Mohasib’s offices and arrest of the journalists.
In a letter to NWFP Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah, the general secretary of RSF, Robert Menard, had asked him to intervene in the matter and release the arrested journalists.
The American-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) had also condemned the incident.
The Council of Pakistan News papers Editors (CPNE) had also protested the sealing of offices of daily Mohasib and arrest of its workers.
In a protest letter addressed to the Governor of NWFP Zahid Malik, secretary general of CPNE had strongly protested against the illegal steps of the Abbottabad administration.
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) had also expressed concern over the arrest of four journalists.
Source: The News
Date:7/19/2001
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