• July 29, 2011
• Media and Society, News Archives, Print Media
• Web Desk

KARACHI: The APNS strongly flays attempts to browbeat the media by acts of vandalism, looting and burning of copies of newspapers, a press release of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society stated on Thursday.

The APNS was approached over the issue that some miscreants had attacked the offices of Daily Jang, The News and Geo TV in Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Khairpur, Daharki, Thatta, Jacobabad, Tando Muhammad Khan and Nawabshah. The arsonists and miscreants forcibly entered the offices and damaged equipment besides manhandling the staffers present at the time of the attacks and bundles of Jang and other newspapers were snatched and torched by some political activists in different parts of interior Sindh. The hooligans physically assaulted hawkers, distribution agents and threatened dire consequences if the newspapers were distributed. The Akhbar Farosh Federation has communicated to the APNS that they would not be able to distribute newspapers unless the hawkers were provided security against the threats and harassment.

The APNS reiterates that its member publications provide a platform for dialogue in the society and thus facilitate different sections to voice their views in the columns of newspapers, which is a pre-requisite to inculcate pluralism and tolerance. However, if there is any difference of opinion, it may be expressed through argument and not resorting to violence.

The APNS, therefore, strongly condemns the acts of violence as an attempt to suppress the media by force and termed the incident as a brutal attack on the freedom of expression and reiterated its resolve that the media would continue to perform its professional duty to serve the people’s ëright to knowí. The task of the media is to disseminate the news and report the events without fear of repression and reaction. The APNS called upon the civil society, human rights organisations and democratic forces across the country to strongly condemn the acts of violence against the media. The APNS also appealed to the chief minister and home minister, Sindh, to provide complete security and protection to media men and hawkers and take action against the culprits who had resorted to strangulate the media.

Meanwhile, the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors President, Jamil Athar Qazi, Secretary General Ilyas Shakir, Joint Secretary Javed Mehar Shamsi and Finance Secretary Mushtaq Ahmed Qureshi on Thursday voiced their concern over the incidents to create hurdles in the distribution of Urdu language newspapers, including Daily Jang, in the interior of Sindh by some elements.

They said people were being deprived of their right of access to information as newspaper sellers were being harassed and threatened.

The CPNE office-bearers, in the their joint statement, said keeping the situation in view, the Akhbar Faroosh Federation has decided to stop the sale of newspapers in the province for an unspecified period. This step would render thousands of people associated with the sale of newspapers jobless besides endangering the industry.

Terming the situation a national tragedy, they demanded that an inquiry be initiated to ascertain who had ordered the police to protect these elements.

The CPNE office-bearers said such acts of violence would put democracy into danger. They appealed to the Sindh chief minister, federal and provincial interior ministers and the information minister to immediately take notice of the situation and ensure smooth distribution and sale of Urdu language newspapers in all areas of the province.

The CPNE office-bearers have assured their all-out cooperation to newspaper sellers and Akhbar Faroosh Federation.

SAFMA, MC-P DEPLORE ATTACKS ON JANG, GEO: The South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) and Media Commission-Pakistan (MC-P) have denounced as “deplorable” the recent attacks on the Geo television offices and its workers and burning of copies of Jang and The News newspapers in Sindh.

“We are greatly disturbed to learn of the attacks and burning of the copies of the largely circulated dailies in Sindh province. We join the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and its other affiliates in condemning the outbreak of political vigilantism and the attempt to intimidate a media organization,” SAFMA Secretary General Imtiaz Alam and MCP President I A Rehman in a joint statement.

“We call upon political leaders in Sindh to publicly repudiate such acts of violence and intolerance, so that an appropriate environment is created for a constructive public debate on matters of vital importance,” they said, calling such attacks as ones against the freedom of expression and freedom of the media.

They demanded the provincial authorities to take strong measures to ensure this kind of press freedom violation does not happen again and to make sure that journalists can travel freely for their work.

“Turning to violence to stifle the voice of media critics is an unspeakable affront to democracy,” they said. SAFMA is an association of journalists from South Asia working for conflict resolution and peace in the region. The MC-P is a country chapter of a regional media rights watchdog, South Asia Media Commission (SAMC).

KUJ(D) CONDEMNS ACTIONS AGAINST JANG, GEO: The Karachi Union of Journalists (Dastoor) has condemned armed attacks on newspaper hawkers, and burning of the copies of Jang in different parts of the interior of Sindh by workers of some nationalist parties.The KUJ(D) also criticized attacks on cable operatorsí offices by respective elements forcing them to off-air GEO TV channel for what they said airing a controversial show regarding division of Sindh province.

In a joint statement issued here on Thursday, the KUJ President Aamir Latif and Secretary Naeem Tahir asked the political workers not to unleash a reign of terror against media because it was media that has always fought for democracy and opposed dictatorship.

ìHow ironic it is that those who voice and preach for democracy and freedom of expression, are adopting the tactics usually used by dictators against mediaî, the KUJ leaders regretted. This, they, was an attempt to bully journalists into dear, but they would not be cowed down by these acts.

The KUJ leaders asked the leaders of these nationalist parties to prevent their workers from indulging in illegal and unconstitutional activities against media. ìWe totally support the right of protestors to dissent, but they should adopt peaceful means to lodge their protestî, they maintained.

They said if the nationalist partiesí workers had objection on any news or show aired and published by GEO and Jang, they had various other options to lodge their protest ranging from contradiction to courts. The KUJ leaders demanded of the provincial government to take stern action against those involved in attacks on hawkers.
Source: The News
Date:7/29/2011