(CPJ/IFEX) – In a 6 November 2000 letter to Gen. Pervez Musharraf, CPJ expressed its dismay over the bomb attack that same day on the Karachi advertising office of the national Urdu-language daily “Nawa-i-Waqt”, a newspaper known for its aggressive political coverage. Three people were killed in the explosion, including “Nawa-i-Waqt”‘s advertising manager, Najamul Hasan […]
(CPJ/IFEX) – In a 6 November 2000 letter to Gen. Pervez Musharraf, CPJ expressed its dismay over the bomb attack that same day on the Karachi advertising office of the national Urdu-language daily “Nawa-i-Waqt”, a newspaper known for its aggressive
political coverage.
Three people were killed in the explosion, including “Nawa-i-Waqt”‘s advertising manager, Najamul Hasan Zaidi, and an unidentified woman believed to have been carrying the bomb when it detonated. The bomb caused extensive damage to the building, knocking down walls and parts of the roof, and shattering doors and windows, according to news reports.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, as is often the case in Pakistan. Including this incident, there have been thirty-four bomb attacks in Pakistan this year, according to the news agency Agence France-Presse.
Five years ago, on 21 June 1995, the same building was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade during a period of intense ethnic and sectarian violence in Karachi. At that time, the building, located on M.A. Jinnah Road, housed the editorial operations of the Nawa-i-Waqt newspaper group, which also publishes the English-language daily “The Nation”. Following the attack, the newspaper group moved its main offices to a safer location
several miles away.
Government authorities have launched an initial investigation.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the chief executive:
– strongly urging His Excellency to ensure that the inquiry is vigorously pursued so that the perpetrators may be brought to justice
Appeals To
APPEALS TO:His Excellency Gen. Pervez Musharraf
Chief Executive, Islamic Republic of Pakistan
General Headquarters, Pakistan Army
Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Fax: +92 51 922 4206Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
