Three British journalists expelled
ISLAMABAD (AFP) – The government on Saturday ordered three journalists for Britain’s Daily Telegraph newspaper to leave the country within 72 hours because of its “foul and abusive language” against Pakistan’s leadership.
“They used foul and abusive language against Pakistan and its leadership in an editorial published on November 9,” Minister of State Information and Broadcasting Tariq Azeem told AFP.
“They have been ordered to leave within 72 hours.”
Contacted in London, the Paper said it was not immediately able to comment. A Telegraph source said that the government had not yet confirmed it would carry out the threat.
It followed a leader article in the newspaper commenting on US support for President Pervez Musharraf, a key Washington ally in the “war on terror.”
The Daily Telegraph editorial referred to language allegedly used by former US president Franklin D Roosevelt in expressing Washington’s grudging support for Nicaragua’s then-dictator Anastasio Somoza.
It compared Roosevelt’s Cold War stance with US President George W Bush’s backing for Musharraf, whose country is on the frontline of the fight against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
The journalists were named by state television as Islamabad correspondent Isambard Wilkinson and two other reporters.
“We are urgently looking into it,” British High Commission spokeswoman Laura Davies told AFP.
“We have been urging the lifting of restrictions on media over the past week and firmly believe a strong, free and dynamic media is best for Pakistan.”
Source: Nation
Date:11/11/2007
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