Articles by Pakistan Press Foundation
Police prevent coverage of opposition protest
(PPF/IFEX) – On 28 May 2003, journalists in the city of Lahore boycotted a session of the Punjab Assembly in response to police preventing coverage of a protest by opposition assembly members earlier in the day. The journalists announced that they would end the boycott only after an apology by Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi and […]
Court bans media coverage of case against president
(PPF/IFEX) – On 13 May 2003, the Lahore High Court’s chief justice banned media coverage of the proceedings of a petition seeking the trial of the president, General Pervez Musharraf, on charges of “high treason” for allegedly “making a show of power in public”. “Keeping in view the nature of the controversy, the petition will […]
Cable operators resume broadcasts
(PPF/IFEX) – On 24 April 2003, the All Balochistan Cable TV Operators Association announced the resumption of broadcasts after negotiations with Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) authorities and the senior superintendent of police (SSP), the city of Quetta’s chief of police. Association President Sohail Aziz and PEMRA Regional Manager Zahid Hussain made the announcement during […]
Armed men burn down cable network operator’s offices
(PPF/IFEX) – Cable television operators in the city of Quetta and other parts of Balochistan province suspended their services on 22 April 2003 to protest the burning down of a cable network operator’s offices by unidentified persons. The watchman guarding the network office received burn injuries and was admitted to hospital. According to press reports, […]
Journalist abducted, assaulted
(PPF/IFEX) – On 18 April 2003, a criminal gang abducted and assaulted Sami Paracha, the district correspondent for the “Daily Dawn” newspaper in Kohat, North West Frontier Province. Paracha had been investigating the lavish facilities being provided in hospital to a certain Pir Habib Shah, who had been arrested earlier and was undergoing medical treatment. […]
Journalist shot dead
(PPF/IFEX) – Shahid Soomro, a correspondent in the town of Kandhkot for the Hyderabad-based Sindhi-language daily “Kawish”, was shot dead in front of his house on 20 October 2002. Soomro, aged 26, was allegedly killed in revenge for his reporting during the recently concluded election campaign. He was shot in the abdomen at around midnight […]
High Court sets aside journalists’ conviction in blasphemy case
(PPF/IFEX) – A division bench of the Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit, has set aside the Anti-Terrorism Court’s conviction of journalists Zahoor Ansari and Ayub Khoso in a blasphemy case. Ansari and Khoso are editor-in-chief and a columnist, respectively, of the Sindhi daily newspaper “Alakh”. According to press reports, the High Court sent the case […]
Government lifts ban on newspapers
(PPF/IFEX) – On 1 August 2002, the government of Pakistan’s southern province of Sindh lifted the suspension of the dailies “Morning Special” and “Evening Special”, in Karachi. The two publications were suspended on 17 July on charges of publishing obscene material. The government also directed the police to unseal the offices of the publications.