=> KARACHI (PPI) – World Association of Newspapers (W
KARACHI (PPI) – World Association of Newspapers (WAN) and World Editors Forum (WEF) have demanded of President General Pervez Musharraf to immediately release all detained journalists, withdraw media curbs and uphold his prior commitments regarding the freedom of expression.
WAN president Cavin 0 Reilly and WEF chief George Brock in their protest letter addressed to the president demanded to take all necessary steps to ensure that in future Pakistan fully respects international standards for freedom of expression.
They cited the reports that scores of journalists have been beaten up and arrested since the declaration of a state of emergency in Pakistan on November 3. “As part of the authority’s concerted suppression of criticism, news outlets have been closed and legislation censoring the media has been introduced”, the said.
They said: “Recent instances of suppression of press freedom include the arrest on 20 November of more than 180 journalists in Karachi who were protesting against the media crackdown. At least six journalists were beaten bv Police during the arrests, three of whom required hospital treatment.”
They said, “All national and international private news channels were suspended on 3 November and later instructed to sign conduct that in effect outlawed any criticism of the government.” On 17 November, pressure by Pakistani authorities led the Dubai government to halt the broadcasting of Geo Television and ARY Digital, two Pakistan channels, they said.
They alleged, “The government has withdrawn advertising from Geo Urdu-language print affiliate, Daily Jang, Pakistan’s largest-circulation newspaper, and its sister publication in English, The News, as punishment for the station’s broadcasting from Dubai”.
“Decrees have been enacted that bar the media from printing or broadcasting anything which defames or brings into ridicule the head of state’ or members of the armed forces, or executive, legislative or judicial organ of the state. journalists have been repeatedly threatened and prevented from covering news events, had their equipment confiscated and been warned that if they record footage of arrests or police raids they will face arrest and incarceration”, they said.
In a separate letter, they also expressed their grave concern at reports that the widow of journalist Hayatullah Khan was killed in the early hours of 17 November by a bomb planted outside her home in Mir Ali, North Waziristan. Mrs. Khan, who was a schoolteacher, had been campaigning for justice following the murder of her husband, whose body was found in June last year six months after saving been abducted.
“The investigation into the death of Mr Khan has been criticised as inadequate and the authorities have reportedly refused to publish the findings of a Peshawar judge’s inquiry”, they said.
WAN and WEF Presidents informed that the Board of the World Association of Newspapers, meeting in Vienna, Austria, from 18 to 20 November 2007, condemned the crackdown on freedom of the press. It also denounced the far-reaching legal restrictions placed on media and the suspension of press freedom guaranteed.
Source: The Nation
Date:11/28/2007
” 
” 
” 
” 
” 
