Government to probe charges of harassment of journalist
ISLAMABAD- The government has taken note of the complaint by a journalist working for English daily and assured that his allegations of harassment will be fully investigated.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Information told APP here on September 12 that the intelligence agencies have denied any involvement in the alleged harassment of the journalist.
President Pervez Musharraf, the spokesman reiterated, has always been a strong advocate of freedom of the press and his policies have been consistently in that direction.
He reminded that the newspaper columns, editorials, and even the state-owned PTV have been full of extremely critical comments of the government and even of the person of the President yet it goes to the credit of the President that he has tolerated criticism at times even bordering on defamation, with patience and grace.
The President has done so in the belief that the Pakistani media, which has seen absolute freedom for the first time, the kind of which could not have been visualized even in any elected government of the past decade, would acquire the necessary responsibility and objectivity that goes with such freedom over a period of time.
The complaint of Amir Mateen, the spokesman assured, will be looked into thoroughly to remove the apprehensions held and the allegations leveled by him.
As for the concern expressed by Ms. Benazir Bhutto, the spokesman recalled that Amir Mateen was beaten up by unidentified assailants during the Benazir Bhutto’s tenure as prime minister and it was then reported in the press that the linchpins of Asif Ali Zardari had orchestrated the attack against the journalist.
Her concern for the alleged harassment of journalists is, therefore, nothing more than a political claptrap, the spokesman added.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:9/13/2002
” 
” 
” 
” 
