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Pakistan Media Mirror |
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Media Mirror: 01-10-2007 |
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Media in Courts
CJ takes suo motu notice of violence
Seeks TV footage |
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The Supreme Court has summoned top police and administration officials of Islamabad on Monday over use of force against lawyers and media people by law-enforcement agencies in the federal capital on Saturday. Notices to the interior secretary, chief commissioner, inspector general of police, deputy commissioner, duty magistrate and the senior superintendent of police were issued on Sunday after Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry took suo motu notice of the matter. A number of journalists covering the event were also beaten up by riot police, plainclothesmen and anti-terrorist squad personnel. The baton-charge began minutes after Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, one of the proposers of Gen Musharraf as a candidate for the polls, had entered the Election Commission building and intensified when he was about to leave the place.
(Daily Times),
(Dawn),
(The News),
(The Nation),
(The Post)
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Six cases filed against lawyers, journalists |
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Six cases have been registered against lawyers, opposition activists and journalists in different police stations for allegedly attempting to kidnap MNA Dr Farooq Sattar, violating section 144, and attacking the motorcade of Punjab chief minister, the minister of state for information and the police." In the first FIR, the police have booked four journalists for beating and thrashing Minister of State for Information Tariq Azeem in front of the Election Commission office. Mr Azeem was thrashed by an angry mob in the presence of police personnel, who kept themselves away from the incident and did not rescue him. Later, some people in plain clothes helped him board a police van to leave the scene. The case was registered on the complaint of Mr Azeem, sources in the police department said. The SSP on the occasion told the journalists to identify those policemen who had victimised them and they would be suspended. However, he did not move an inch with the mediapersons to trace the accused. |
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/10/01/nat4.htm |
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FIR against journalists sealed |
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The secretariat police on Saturday registered a First Information Report (FIR) against several journalists but have refused to identify them. Police officials said the FIR had been sealed and they were unable to disclose the names of the journalists who had been booked. Afzal Butt, the secretary-general of the Rawalpinidi and Islamabad Press Club, said the Supreme Court (SC) had taken suo motu action on this case and the journalists would provide evidence before the SC today (Monday) in this regard.
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http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\10\01\story_1-10-2007_pg7_9 |
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Media Protest |
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Journalists observe Black Day
Countrywide rallies condemn police repression
The journalist community took out rallies and observed black day across the country on Sunday to protest the thrashing of their colleagues at the Constitution Avenue by security forces personnel in full glare of local and foreign media.
(The News),
(Nation),
(The Post)
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Journalists observe ‘black day’ |
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Rallies held in Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta and Lahore
Journalists here on Sunday observed a “black day” and staged a demonstration outside the parliament to protest at the heavy handed action of police against their colleagues outside the Supreme Court and Election Commission offices on Saturday. Journalists gathered outside the camp office of the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Press Club and later marched to the Parliament House in protest against police violence. Carrying placards inscribed with “Stop violence against the media”, and “Where is press freedom?”, they shouted slogans against police and the government. Scores of lawyers and representatives of civil society organisations also joined the protest. |
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http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\10\01\story_1-10-2007_pg7_8 |
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Journalists reject probe body formed by IGP Islamabad |
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The suo moto notice taken by the Supreme Court of the thrashing of journalists and lawyers by the police, mainly in plainclothes, has led the top police cops of Islamabad to come out with a secret plan to obtain bails for the main accused. The plan got leaked when IGP Islamabad Syed Moravat Ali Shah constituted a probe committee in the name of finding facts. Leaders of journalists Mazhar Abbas and Afzal Butt forthwith rejected the constitution of the probe body and wondered as to how could the main accused form a committee to probe the matter. The IGP, it may be mentioned, had himself resorted to beating journalists and lawyers with his stick in front of television cameras and onlookers.
The police chief named SSP Taimoor Ali Khan to find out facts of the incident in which dozens of journalists and lawyers were beaten in blue and black on Saturday. The representatives of journalists believe that it is an attempt on the part of the IGP to save his own skin in view of the court action.
Mazhar Abbas reiterated the demand to remove Moravat Ali Shah. He said the police chief is the main accused and the journalists would plead to the Supreme Court to take action against him. He rejected the "fact-finding committee" formed by the top police official. Another journalist leader Afzal Butt said, "We do not accept this committee as it is an attempt to save the main culprit, Moravat Shah, from the likely action of the Supreme Court". |
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http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=10408 |
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Journalists vow to protect media freedom |
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Print and electronic media personnel all over Pakistan vowed on Sunday to protect media freedom and to continue their struggle for rights. They marked Sunday as black day and organised peaceful protest rallies in the federal capital and in various cities and towns in the Punjab, Sindh and the NWFP to condemn brutal police action against journalists and lawyers on Saturday. In Islamabad, journalists staged a big demonstration and declared that they would expose the government’s anti-media policies and security forces’ excesses in a charge-sheet to be made public on Oct 3. They also decided to observe a black day on the day and to boycott the proceedings of parliament, provincial assemblies and official functions throughout the country. While performing their professional duties, they would decline refreshments and food at official functions. The demonstration was staged on a call given by the Pakistan Federal of Unions of Journalists (PFUJ) against excesses committed by police on Sept 29 in Islamabad, Karachi and Peshawar. Some senior journalists termed the Sunday’s demonstration in Islamabad unprecedented and said it was the biggest-ever gathering of media professionals in Islamabad.
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/10/01/nat1.htm |
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Media demonstrates weight of numbers: Vows to boycott official meetings |
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Keeping the flag of freedom of expression high, journalists demonstrated in the length and breadth of Punjab on Sunday to condemn violence against their brethren at the Constitution Avenue in Islamabad. At some places, lawyers and activists of opposition political parties joined the voice against oppression which the law enforcers unleashed at the time of scrutiny of nomination papers of presidential candidates. The protest call was given by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists which decided to observe a black day against the battering of newsmen.
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/10/01/nat5.htm |
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KUJ observes black day against police highhandedness |
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Karachi Union of the journalistic (KUJ) observed black-day on Sunday where the journalists fasten black bandages on their arms as they covered the routine events. KUJ has also announced to hold protest rally from Karachi Press Club on Monday today. The country wide protests have been launched in the second day of the brutal use of the force by the Islamabad police against the journalists when they were covering the event of the eve of the general Pervez Musharraf candidature outside the Election Commission office on Saturday. Karachi Union of Journalists will also organize demonstration rally on Monday where the journalists will registered their demonstration.
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http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/oct-2007/1/nationalnews11.php |
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Journalists observe black day in Sindh |
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A black day was observed across Sindh by journalists on Sunday to condemn police brutality against media personnel in Islamabad, Peshawar and other places. The print and electronic media personnel and at some places political parties and civil society organisations held rallies in protest against the police high-handedness against media men and lawyers. Black flags were hoisted at press clubs and journalists wore black armbands. They raised slogans against the attack on media men. In Hyderabad, a rally was held under the leadership of press club president Khalid Khokhar and senior journalists. Speaking on the occasion, the journalists said that the naked attack on journalists had fully exposed the so-called champions of democracy and government’s claim of freedom of media. They said that the violence against the journalists had no parallel in the history of Pakistan.
(News-4) |
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/10/01/local21.htm |
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Journalists observe black day across Punjab |
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A black day was observed across Punjab by journalists on Sunday to condemn police brutality against media personnel in Islamabad, Peshawar and other places. The print and electronic media personnel and at some places political parties and civil society organisations held rallies in protest against the police high-handedness against media men and lawyers. Black flags were hoisted at press clubs and journalists wore black armbands. They raised slogans against the attack on media men.
(News-5) (Nation-5)
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http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/oct-2007/1/localnews2.php |
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Rallies held across NWFP in protest against attack on journalists |
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Journalists and representatives of the civil society organised rallies across the Frontier province on Sunday to protest the use of excessive force against lawyers and media people in Islamabad. A protest demonstration was held in Peshawar to condemn brutal use of force against journalists. Journalists marched towards the Governor House and called upon the government to take stern action against those involved in the shameful act and register FIR against police officials who tortured journalists and lawyers. Protesting journalists carried banners and placards and shouted slogans against the government. They were joined by workers of various political parties like PML-N, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Jammat-i-Islami, JUI-F and lawyers. Leaders of the journalist community condemned law-enforcement agencies for using excessive force against journalists who were performing their professional duties in Islamabad. NWFP Minister for Auqaf and Religious Affairs Maulana Amanullah Haqqani said that time had come to launch a joint movement for removing the present government from power. NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani, he said, had already ordered action against policemen responsible for beating up of journalists in Peshawar.
(Dawn-18) (News-3) (Nation-5)
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Torture of journalists lawyares shameful: Zafar |
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Pakistan Muslim League (N) chairman Raja Zafar ul Haq has said that violence against peaceful journalists lawyers and political workers is unacceptable and intolerable.
(News-9)
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Baloch condemns violence against lawyers, journalists |
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Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) leader Liaqat Baloch said on Sunday that the police torture of lawyers and journalists had unveiled the fascist face of President Pervez Musharraf. He said the military rulers had pushed the country towards destruction just for vested interests. He said the sacrifices of lawyers and journalists would prove fruitful, and the masses would have to come on roads to win the current political war.
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http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\10\01\story_1-10-2007_pg7_10 |
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Journalists, MMA rally against police brutality |
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PPP a no-show at the rally | PFUJ, PUJ vow to continue protests till guilty officials are brought to task
The working journalists of the print and electronic media and APDM workers staged a protest outside the Lahore Press Club and also marched to the Punjab Assembly building Saturday. They were holding placards and banners inscribed with slogans against the brutal torture of their colleagues and associates in Lahore and Islamabad. They also staged a sit-in outside the Punjab Assembly building and chanted anti-government slogans. Working journalists protested on the call of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and also observed Black Day on Sunday against the state sponsored torture of working journalists committed by Islamabad and Lahore police.
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http://www.thepost.com.pk/ShortNewsT.aspx?shortid=4557&catid=3 |
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Joint emergency meeting of MUJ, NPC held |
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A joint emergency meeting of Mirpurkhas Union of Journalists (MUJ) and National Press Club (NPC) Mirpurkhas held to condemn aggression against media men in Islamabad.
(Daily Times-A3)
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Tribal journalists protest against police brutality |
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Tribal union of journalists observed ‘black day’ here on Sunday and protested against the government’s handling of journalists.
(Daily Times-B3)
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No reward for this job |
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City diary by Mobarik A Virk, “We believe the honorable IGP, Mr.Moravat Shah, would surely care to find out as to who was the ‘Jawan’ and will award him one step promotion and cash reward along with a commendation certificate.”
(News-14)
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Violence against journalists condemned |
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A Washington-based group of Pakistani journalists, writers and professionals has condemned the assault on journalists and lawyers in Islamabad, by what it calls “the military regime’s storm troopers,” on Saturday. In a statement, the Washington Policy Analysis Group said, “Our hearts go out to the affected journalists and lawyers and their families. We pledge to do everything within our means to internationalise the cause of Pakistani journalists facing pressure from an unpopular military-led government. From all accounts in the domestic media and live coverage on satellite channels based in Pakistan, the police attack was unprovoked. The journalists were only doing their job, covering clashes between lawyers and security forces. The lawyers were demonstrating peacefully as well. In fact, it was clear that journalists and prominent lawyers were targeted with the intent to silence then as elections draw closer. The decision to block the transmission of some TV channels was another assault on freedom of the press. The inquiry ordered by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz into violence by security forces will have no credibility. We demand an independent judicial probe by a committee named by the Chief Justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.” |
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http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\10\01\story_1-10-2007_pg7_11 |
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Nawa-i-Waqt Editorial |
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“Government should withdraw cases against lawyers and journalists. IGP Islamabad should be removed. Cases against lawyers and media men are attempts to create rift between government and media community.”
(Nawa-i-Waqt- Editorial)
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Aaj Editorial |
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“Police action against lawyers and journalists is a brutal and condemnable act. Action was taken against Supreme Court orders to allow protest demo in peaceful manner. Police action is contempt of court.”
(Aaj- Editorial)
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Jang Column by Hamid Mir |
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The Jang columnist Hamid Mir comments, “Journalists have never surrendered before past rulers. They achieved freedom through sacrifices. Government is reacting over confidently. Current military ruler who is going to doff uniform in next few days should not use force against media.”
(Jang-Column)
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Express Column |
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(Express-1) |
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Human rights activists hold placards as they march with journalists towards the Presidency during a protest here on Sunday. Journalists condemning police action staged rallies in major cities while lawyers and opposition party activists wearing black armbands joined the rallies to express solidarity with them. afp |
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Awards for Media
Mazhar Abbas nominated for press freedom award 2007 |
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According to press release by Committee to Protect Journalists, PFUJ General Secretary Journalist Mazhar Abbas has been nominated for the Press Freedom International Award for 2007.
(Jang-3)
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Media Miscellaneous
Azeem wants no action against attackers |
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Minister of State for Information Tariq Azeem is not interested in lodging an FIR against any journalists who attacked him while the government after lodging an FIR on Saturday reiterated on Sunday that strict action would be taken against those journalists who attacked the minister on Saturday.
Talking to The News on Saturday and Sunday, Azeem said the incidents which took place on Saturday were unfortunate. He said those who attacked him could not have been journalists. "Neither have I lodged any FIR against anybody nor do I want to do so. I don't want any action against anyone and want this chapter to be closed," he said.On the other hand, sources in the interior ministry confided to The News that they had received strict orders from the higher authorities to take effective action against the journalists involved in the attack. When asked whether the government had any intention of taking action against the “real culprit” of Saturday's brutality and Marvat Ali Shah, IG Islamabad Police, their reply was a ‘no’. Even Federal Minister for Information Muhammad Ali Durrani chose not to answer when asked by The News on Sunday night whether any action was being contemplated against the IGP. Many people were critical of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz for his more than half an hour comments about Saturday's incidents on the state-owned media on Saturday night. They were of the view that during his speech, the prime minister repeatedly condemned the manhandling of Tariq Azeem and Farooq Sattar without saying a word against the police brutality that was unleashed upon journalists, lawyers and members of the civil society. |
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http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=10401 |
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Inquiry ordered into Saturday violence |
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Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Sunday ordered an inquiry into Saturday’s violence against journalists and lawyers in Islamabad. According to an official handout, the Interior Ministry had constituted a committee headed by Additional Secretary (interior) Imtiaz Qazi to probe into the “incident at Constitution Avenue”. Other committee members are: Joint Secretary Rashad Bashir Mazari and Additional Deputy Commissioner of Islamabad Aamer Ahmad Ali. The committee will present its report in 10 days.
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http://www.dawn.com/2007/10/01/top6.htm |
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Journalists’ grievances to be redressed: Durrani |
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Minister for Information and Broadcasting Muhammad Ali Durrani on Sunday said complaints of journalists' community would be resolved amicably however law of the land must be respected.
Talking to PTV, he said journalists' grievances would be listened patiently and issues would be resolved through negotiations. Strongly condemning the attack on State Minister for Information Tariq Azeem and MQM parliamentary leader Dr Farooq Sattar, he said such practices must be avoided as it is not prevalent in a civilised society.
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http://www.thepost.com.pk/IsbNewsT.aspx?dtlid=121135&catid=17 |
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Angel hints at night scoops by Ansar Abbasi |
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Angels are really upset these days. One never thought that they get disturbed or become cheerful like the human beings. But those known to this correspondent are behaving strangely and show the feelings that are more known for man. The angels, who had developed intimacy with this correspondent during the recent months, have been missing for quite some time. On Sunday one of them had a surprise meeting with this correspondent. He was extremely upset for what he saw and heard during the recent weeks in Islamabad. His access to all that has been happening in the federal capital during the last few weeks was phenomenal. “You journalists make tall claims but know too little of what is happening around,” he said, adding that the media had missed some covert dinners and meetings, which if covered would have been journalistic scoops. And if reported, the angel said, certain things would have been different from what we have today. The angel was not talking straight but was more interested in communicating between the lines. When asked why, he said that he could not afford annoying those attending the covert meetings and dinners. The angel, however, said, “The honeymoon is over for you people.” When asked to explain, he shared the tales of certain “who(s)” visiting and meeting top Presidential aides and even having dinners with them during the recent weeks.
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http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=10415 |
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DISCLAIMER: The contents, including news and headlines, in this newsletter are reproduced from their respective publications ad verbatim as a public service to media observers. Internews does not author the contents and these, therefore, do not necessarily reflect organizational policy.
Updated at 11:00 PST (06:00 GMT) |
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