3 December 1998

Alert

Five Pakistani journalists barred from entering White House


Incident details

journalist(s)

harassed


(PPF/IFEX) - PPF is reporting that on 2 December 1998, five Pakistani
journalists were denied entry to the White House to cover a meeting between
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and US President Bill Clinton. The
agenda of the meeting covered the lifting of sanctions imposed against
Pakistan and the signing of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) by
Pakistan.




As the Prime Minister's media team proceeded to the north gate of the White
House to collect their passes, a list of the six media men accompanying the
Prime Minister was given to Pakistani officials who reportedly were not
permitted to enter the White House. No explanation was offered for this
refusal to allow the journalists access to the meeting. The list of
journalists accompanying the Prime Minister was given well ahead of time,
but entry was refused minutes before the actual meeting was to get underway.
Pakistani embassy officials were told that new security clearances for the
journalists would take up to three days to process.

Those refused entry included Rahimullah Yusufzai of "The News", Arif Nizami
of "The Nation", APP correspondent Abdul Qadir, Asia News Network's Mateen
Haider, information ministry official Ruknuddin Mirani, and the editor of
"Khabrain", Khushnood Ali Khan.





Source:

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