Government threatens to seal Jang press
KARACHI: Police in Karachi moved in to seal the printing press of the Jang Group, the country’s largest media house, on Monday after the management refused to bow down to verbal orders from government officials to stop printing one of its papers.
The afternoon paper, Awam, had to print extra editions to cope with the need for information by the public who are starved of credible news following the closure of the country’s private news channels after the proclamation of emergency.
On Monday afternoon, information department officials phoned the editor, Nazeer Leghari, and ordered him not to print a supplement. However, when these verbal orders were not followed, the officials came to the press and threatened workers there. After this, police also arrived on the scene and threatened to seal the press.
At this, hundreds of journalists and press workers gathered at Jang’s press, and management and editors held discussions with the Press Information Department (PID) and the police.
When asked under what law they were threatening to seal the press, or whether this threat extended to all Jang Group publications and indeed to the entire print media of the country, the officials said they had received orders only in respect of the afternoon paper, Awam.
When the management refused to back down, the government officials withdrew.
Source: The News
Date:11/6/2007
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