Raids on newspapers
Editorial
THE raids on the offices of some newspapers and weeklies, and the arrest of several journalists and even newspaper hawkers in Karachi by the law enforcement agencies were both unwarranted and arbitrary. This view has nothing to do with one’s condoning the publication and distribution of hate literature. The point is that if any such allegations were involved in the present case, the police could have proceeded against the publications under the relevant law.
No notices were served on the publications that were raided and no charges made against those arrested. Arresting the hawkers is even more shocking because they were trying to make a living. There is another aspect to this as well. The raids came after President Pervez MusharrafÂ’s remarks in Islamabad at a youth convention where he spoke strongly against religious extremism and on the need to curb such elements and prevent them from preaching their sectarian and hate-filled views.
In that context, the raids would seem to be a knee-jerk reaction to the president’s denunciation of the preachers and practitioner’s of violence and hatred, which he did in the wake of the London attacks of July 7 and the alleged links of the attackers with madressahs in Pakistan. In raiding the offices of some newspapers, did the police set out to make an example of those publications instead of holding them legally answerable in a court of law? Surely, the police and the myriad intelligence agencies must have known who publishes material and hate literature in the country, especially since much of it is published and distributed by organizations with links to extremist religious groups and banned outfits.
The best way for the government to prevent the spread of hatred and violence in the country through hate literate is for it to pursue a policy of keeping a watchful eye on the publication of material preaching, directly or indirectly, the cult of violence and hatred among the people. If a particular publication is found in violation of the law on this score, it can be asked to stop doing so. If such warnings are repeatedly ignored, the publication concerned could be held legally accountable. But on no account can resorting to strong-arm methods or raiding newspaper offices, vandalizing them or arresting those working there be justifiable on any pretext whatsoever.
Source: Dawn
Date:7/22/2005
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