Articles by Pakistan Press Foundation
Journalist receives life sentence in blasphemy case
(PPF/IFEX) – On 8 July, the Additional District and Sessions Judge Sardar Irshad convicted Munawar Mohsin, sub-editor of the Peshawar-based “Frontier Post”, of blasphemy and sentenced him to life imprisonment and a fine of 50,000 rupees (approx. US$860). The judge held Mohsin responsible for the newspaper’s publication of a blasphemous letter on 29 January 2001, […]
Magazine office raided; editor-in-chief harassed, detained
(PPF/IFEX) – On 30 June 2003, a large police contingent raided the offices of the monthly “Shahrag-e-Pakistan” in Lahore, the capital of Punjab province. The magazine’s editor-in-chief, Khalid Mehmood Shah, was detained in the publication’s office for nearly two days. According to Shah, about 70 policemen surrounded the magazine’s offices on the morning of 30 […]
Telecommunications authorities block “South Asia Tribune” website
(PPF/IFEX) – On 30 May 2003, telecommunication authorities in Pakistan blocked the website of the online newspaper “South Asia Tribune” (http://www.satribune.com). The website is currently inaccessible to Internet users in Pakistan. According to a press release issued by “South Asia Tribune”, the site has been blocked by the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited’s (PTCL) Pakistan Internet […]
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. […]