(PPF/IFEX) – A bomb exploded at the Karachi offices of the daily “Dawn” on 9 July 1998. The device, planted in a lavatory on the first floor of the building, went off at 1.05 p.m. No one was injured in the explosion. The bomb shook the entire building, causing extensive damage to the bathroom and […]
(PPF/IFEX) – A bomb exploded at the Karachi offices of the daily “Dawn” on 9
July 1998. The device, planted in a lavatory on the first floor of the
building, went off at 1.05 p.m. No one was injured in the explosion. The
bomb shook the entire building, causing extensive damage to the bathroom and
adjoining offices. Half an hour earlier, another explosion had taken place
near the offices of “Dawn” in which the bomb was planted under a car.
The bomb disposal squad said the devices were locally assembled and each
contained 200 grams of explosive charges as well as a timer.
A statement released by Pakistan Herald Publications (Pvt.) Ltd, publishers
of the Dawn group of newspapers, said the blast was a direct warning from
political or terrorist forces to the journalists of “Dawn”, “The Herald”
and “The Star” “to desist from the pursuing independent editorial policies
and from critical comment on the situation in the country.”
The statement said the explosion could have could have injured or killed
journalists, press workers and newspaper hawkers but, fortunately, the first
blast had caused a delay in the publication of the groupâs evening daily,
“The Star”.
The president of the All Pakistan Newspaper Society (APNS), Majid Nizami,
strongly condemned the incident. He said the purpose of such blasts could be
to prevent the newspapers, which had been exposing the causes behind acts of
sabotage and terrorism, from performing their duties and responsibilities in
the larger interest of the press freedom.
Leaders of political parties have also condemned the blasts and demanded an
inquiry into the matter.
