(RSF/IFEX) – In a 10 November 1999 letter to the Pakistani chief executive, Pervez Musharraf, RSF protested both the arrest of three journalists for nine hours on 24 October and notices issued against three editors and five journalists. RSF “expressed its greatest concern about the current crackdown on the press in Pakistan, which is reported […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a 10 November 1999 letter to the Pakistani chief executive,
Pervez Musharraf, RSF protested both the arrest of three journalists for
nine hours on 24 October and notices issued against three editors and five
journalists. RSF “expressed its greatest concern about the current crackdown
on the press in Pakistan, which is reported to be on the increase in North
West Frontier Province (NWFP)”, particularly in Swat district. RSF reminded
General Pervez Musharraf that he had declared in his maiden press conference
he “believed in freedom of the press, and journalists would be given full
access to information.” Finally, RSF hopes the eight journalists will be
able to defend themselves in court during open and fair trials this week.
Ghulam Farooq, bureau chief of the English-language daily “The Frontier
Post”, Ghafoor Khan, a journalist with the local daily “Shamal” and Muhammad
Saleem, a journalist with an Urdu-language daily, were arrested in Swat
district (in the NWFP) on 24 October and were held from 3 p.m. to 12 p.m.
(local time). They had criticised Article 40 of the Frontier Crime
Regulations (FCR) in recent articles. This “black law” gives police
unlimited powers since the enforcement of Shariah laws, and also allows
police officials to harass journalists.
Similarly, the deputy inspector general (DIG) of police, Malakand Range
Sultan Hanif Orakzai, issued notices against three editors and five
journalists under Article 40 of the FCR and Section 500 of the Criminal
Procedure Code. The journalists are: Farooq of “The Frontier Post”; Juma
Rehman Afgar, editor of a local daily; Niaz Pashan Jadoon, editor-in-chief
of the Swat-based paper “Shamal”; Ali Hazrat Bacha, a correspondent with the
dailies “Mashriq” and “Dawn”; Hamidullah, bureau chief of the
Islamabad-based “Ausaf”; Rehmat Shah Afridi, jailed editor of the dailies
“The Frontier Post” and “Maidan”; Syed Ayaz Badshah, editor of the
Peshawar-based Urdu-language daily “Mashriq” and Hamid Mir, editor of the
daily “Ausaf”. The journalists highlighted clause 9(3)-1, “because the
people of the area suffer a great deal because of this black law,” Ali
Hazrat Bacha told the RSF correspondent. The Peshawar High Court declared
this law null and void on 20 October, but the police are still using the law
to harass people.
