(IFJ/IFEX) – In a 28 January 2003 letter to General Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan’s president and chief executive, the IFJ expressed its deep concern about the continuing spate of violent attacks against journalists in Pakistan. According to the IFJ’s information, the most recent attack occurred in Faisalabad on 6 January. Faisalabad Union of Journalists President Javed […]
(IFJ/IFEX) – In a 28 January 2003 letter to General Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan’s president and chief executive, the IFJ expressed its deep concern about the continuing spate of violent attacks against journalists in Pakistan.
According to the IFJ’s information, the most recent attack occurred in Faisalabad on 6 January. Faisalabad Union of Journalists President Javed Akhtar Malik was attacked by a group of unknown assailants. Fortunately, Malik escaped unhurt.
This attack was the third incident involving attacks on journalists in Faisalabad in a short period of time. On 26 December 2002, several armed men shot and kidnapped local journalist Muhammad Rashid Qamar, a reporter with “Daily Pakistan” (see IFEX alert of 15 January 2003). Shahid Soomro, a journalist with the daily newspaper “Kawish”, was murdered on 20 October (see IFEX alerts of 15 and 2 January 2003 and 22 October 2002).
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the president:
– condemning the attack on Malik and the recent spate of violent attacks against journalists in Pakistan
– urging him to mount a full investigation into the attacks on Malik and Qamar and the murder of Soomro and to bring their attackers to justice
– recalling that attacks on journalists and the media are one of the worst forms of attack on press freedom and civil society, and that there is no more serious form of censorship than violence
– asking that he take all appropriate measures to ensure the safety of all journalists working in Pakistan
Appeals To
General Pervez Musharraf
President and Chief Executive of Pakistan
E-mail: CE@pak.gov.pkPlease copy appeals to the IFJ Asia Office at ifj-asia@alliance.org.au
