HRCP raps moves to ‘muzzle media’
LAHORE: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has condemned Sunday’s attacks targeting cable operators’ offices, blocking of telecasts of a couple of TV channels and snatching and burning of copies of some newspapers in parts of the country.
A statement issued by the commission on Monday said: “HRCP unreservedly condemns the attacks on cable operators’ offices in Karachi and other efforts to block some news channels’ broadcasts, burning of copies of newspapers snatched from vendors and efforts to prevent their distribution.”
It said the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan might not be able to join those who were gloating over the hurling of shoes at the country’s president and it had its own views on the continuance of unseemly partisan politics even as the country was devastated by the worst flooding of its history.
However, the statement said, the commission could not but condemn any form of interference with the media’s freedom of expression in as strong words as possible. Besides, such actions were always counterproductive, it added.
The commission urged the government to take to task all perpetrators of Sunday’s attacks and back up its professions of commitment to freedom of media by taking resolute action to end harassment of journalists, cable operators and newspaper vendors.
Source: Dawn
Date:8/10/2010
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