ISLAMABAD : During November 2006, Pakistani journalists and media properties were targeted in a total of 15 incidents of threat, harassment, and violence as reported in the national press, raising the total number of violations against media to 115 during the current year. Reportedly, government agencies, political parties, militants were involved in such attacks on press freedom.

The statistics compiled by Intermedia Pakistan, a non governmental organization (NGO) that monitors the state of media in the country, show two incidents of abduction of 3 journalists, torture of other two and at least six incidents of intimidating media were reported in the press during November. One journalist, Maskeen Khan, died due to reported negligence of doctors in an Islamabad-based hospital.

Dilawar Khan Wazir, correspondent of British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Dawn newspaper in South Waziristan went missing from Islamabad under mysterious circumstances on November 19. He was released after confinement of more then 24 hours. “The kidnappers took me to an unidentified location, and asked questions about my work [in the tribal areas]”, Dilawar said after being released. The identity of his abductors remains unknown but press reports and Dilawar himself suspected intelligence agencies.

Two Pakistani journalists, Syed Saleem Shahzad of daily Star, Karachi , and Qamar Yousafzai of daily Ummat, Karachi , were detained by Taliban forces. A report quoted a Taliban spokesman, Dr Hanif, as saying that the journalists were found in areas controlled by them without any prior notice to them. The Taliban released the two journalists after 24 hour detention near Pak-Afghan border.

Rehmanullah, vice president of Press Club, Charsadda, was injured in a reported murder attempt. According to reports, he was shot and injured by an identified person from the town against whom the police has registered a case. Muhammad Riaz of Nawa-e-Waqt, meanwhile, escaped unhurt in a knife attack. Mandra Police has registered a case against unknown persons.

Mehruddin Marri of daily Kawish, who was missing since June 27, 2006 was released on November 04. After his release Marri alleged that he was arrested by Thatta police and afterward handed over to intelligence agencies. He claims he was taken to an unidentified location and interrogated by military personnel about his ties with Baloch leaders. “I was beaten and given electric shocks”, he was reported by the press as saying.  

There were five reported incidents of threats and intimidation targeted at journalists during the month. Pervaiz Narejo, correspondent of Sindh TV in Dadu complained of receiving death threats from local politicians and asked for special protection. He received threats after one of his reports was broadcast showing a pro-government member of National Assembly beating a policeman. According to reports the policeman was found dead a few minutes later. After the footage was screened, Narejo and his family received death threats and he was forced to flee to Karachi .

Habibur Rehman, the editor-in-chief of weekly ‘Chattan' published from Diamer in Northern Areas received a notification from the local administration before which copies of his publications were also confiscated and office sealed. Reports said a column printed in the October 19-24 edition of the weekly allegedly “hurt the religious sentiments of some people” and it was declared an attempt to fan sectarianism.

On November 6, a team of journalists from Peshawar was forced by local authorities to leave the area of Bajaur in tribal areas, where 80 persons had been killed in a military operation against a madrassa where, according to the government, terrorist training was being conducted. Later on an official of the political authorities summoned five tribal journalists and questioned them about activities of the team.

Two identical petitions against alleged vulgarity in programmes of Pakistan Television (PTV) were filed in the Supreme Court of Pakistan, which accepted the petitions for hearings and the attorney general has been issued a notice, seeking his legal opinion.

There were three incidents of attacks over media property reported in national press during November 2006.

On November 21, an activist of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians, reportedly entered the premises of the National Press Club in G-8 Islamabad and forcibly tried to take control of the premises. On reaction from the journalist community the matter has lately been resolved with intruder leaving the premises.

On November 14, three unidentified gunmen entered the premises of a newpapers distribution agency in Karachi and held the staff at gunpoint before snatching bundles of an Urdu-language daily and a Sindhi-language daily and fleeing.

Another incident of snatching and burning of newspaper copies was reported on November 29 from North Waziristan where Tribal militants burnt copies of newspapers kept at a bookshop run by Haji Pazir, a journalist in Miranshah. The militants took away the journalist's son, Nasru Minallah, also a journalist, and detained him for three hours before releasing him.

On November 8, the transmission of private television channel Sindh TV was forced to go off air. Brig (retd) Zahid Shakeel Ahmed, the Head Cable Television (CTV), Policy Wing, PEMRA, was reported as saying that the suspension of transmission was ordered by the federal interior ministry.

In a censorship exercise, a private television channel Aaj, was pressurized to not to broadcast a news report regarding Bajoor episode on Nov 12 2006 . According to Aaj officials, the news report was carried on the spot interviews of locals of Chagagi village, where 83 people were murdered in a missile attack on a religious school. To protest against government pressure the screen of TV kept blank at the scheduled time of the banned programme.

During 11 months of 2006, 4 journalists were killed, 35 media personals were either abducted or arrested, 49 were tortured, 28 complaints of threaten or intimidating media were received through out the year. There were 15 incidents of attacks over media property and in 4 cases media outlets were forcefully closed by the state.

ENDS