(PPF/IFEX) – On 19 November 1999, a number of persons, including journalists, were beaten up by law enforcement agency personnel when the former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, went before the anti-terrorism court in Karachi. The police had resorted to the “baton charging” of all those present outside the court, including many journalists trying to enter […]
(PPF/IFEX) – On 19 November 1999, a number of persons, including
journalists, were beaten up by law enforcement agency personnel when the
former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, went before the anti-terrorism court in
Karachi. The police had resorted to the “baton charging” of all those
present outside the court, including many journalists trying to enter the
court premises. The chief reporter of “The News”‘s hand was fractured when a
policeman hit him with a baton.
A day earlier, the court had directed the security staff to allow
journalists into the court premises and had ordered that a limited number of
journalists should be allowed to witness the proceedings. However, the
police ignored the orders of the court and did not allow reporters to sit in
during the hearing of the police application seeking the remand of the
former prime minister.
The journalists later staged a sit-in to protest the police’s attitude, and
lodged a protest with the judge against the violation of the court order.
Condemning the incident, Ali Iqbal, president of the Karachi Press Club,
said the law enforcement agencies’ actions were aimed at curbing press
freedom. He asked the chief executive of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf,
to take note of such actions, as he had earlier announced his commitment to
press freedom. The Karachi Union of Journalists also condemned the police
action, saying it was aimed at curbing press freedom, which is guaranteed
under Article 19 of the constitution.
