HRCP assails victimisation of media personnel
KARACHI, June 4: Secretary-general of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Iqbal Haider has expressed dismay over harassment and victimisation, by the government and its agencies, of journalists, editors, owners and publishers and the scholar of international repute Dr Ayesha Siddiqua, who was prevented from holding a ceremony for launching her book “Military Inc” in Islamabad last week.
Mr Haider said that the government was destroying all institutions and trampling over the right of every individual.
He said he was disturbed by the news of the draconian ordinance promulgated on the eve of the National Assembly session and the merciless use of violence in Islamabad against working journalists who had braved all barriers and went up to the prime minister’s house to register their protest.
He said the government was mistaken if it believed that it would be able to hide facts and exposure of truth.
“There are no sacred cows. We have every right to criticise those who are wrongly involved in Pakistani politics. You withdraw them from politics and we will have no grievances,” he added.
Referring to the intimidation of journalists and electronic media personnel, he said it was shocking that the government had been repeatedly preventing the live TV broadcast of seminars, protests and rallies held for the independence of judiciary, particularly by Aaj TV, ARY and Geo.
The HRCP leader said that two of the three senior Karachi-based journalists who were issued death threats with bullets sent in envelopes were among the list of 18 journalists threatened earlier by the Mohajir Rabita Council headed by a federal minister.
The HRCP assured all moral and legal support to the media and Dr Ayesha Siddiqua.
“If the establishment feels annoyed or embarrassed by such publications (such as Military Inc.) then the best course for them is to restrain the armed forces in service or retired from building a business empire, instead of restricting the exposures of such empires, and withdraw all harassment and victimisation actions against such people.”
Source: Dawn
Date:6/5/2007
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