(RSF/IFEX) – RSF is expressing concern regarding continuing government harassment of the “Jang” publishing group. According to RSF’s information, the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is continuing its harassment of the “Jang” publishing group on the accusation of “tax evasion”. **Updates IFEX alerts of 16 December and 15 December 1998** Mir Shakilur Rehmen, owner […]
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF is expressing concern regarding continuing government
harassment of the “Jang” publishing group. According to RSF’s information,
the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is continuing its harassment
of the “Jang” publishing group on the accusation of “tax evasion”.
**Updates IFEX alerts of 16 December and 15 December 1998**
Mir Shakilur Rehmen, owner of the “Jang” group, which publishes the dailies
“Jang”, “The News” and several other publications, declared that the
government had started “punishing his group for defying his orders.” He said
he was asked last August to sack two editors, thought to be Maleeha Lodhi,
editor of “The News”, Rawalpindi edition, and Irshad Hussein Haqqani, of the
Urdu language “Jang” in Karachi. Rehmen said that the government had
recently stopped advertising in his newspapers and listed “sixteen unwanted
journalists employed by the group.” According to him, this harassment is the
result of the editorial policy of revealing corruption cases among the
government and the Prime Minister’s close relatives. The bank accounts of
the group were frozen for a short period so that the wages of the employees
could not be paid. RSF suspects that the tax audit is a pretext to harass
the “Jang” group.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the Prime Minister:
investigate
corruption cases in accordance with their professional duty
himself think that he has been the victim of defamation, Pakistani law
allows him to file a legal complaint
Appeals To
His Excellency Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
Office of the Prime Minister
Islamabad, Pakistan
Fax: +92 51 920 5532
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
