Pakistan Press Foundation

(PPF/IFEX) – On 20 October 1999, the Supreme Court of Pakistan issued notices of contempt of court to prominent columnist Ardesher Cowasjee and to the managing director of the state-owned Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) for commenting about the judiciary in a programme telecast live on 19 October. A press release issued by the office of […]

(PPF/IFEX) – Two press photographers covering a rally organised by opposition parties were manhandled by police officers in Karachi on 1 September 1999. Saeed Iqbal of the Sindhi-language newspaper “Hilal–Pakistan” and Mohammed Farooq of the Associated Press (AP) were beaten up. Iqbal was beaten so severely that he had to be admitted to the hospital. […]

(PPF/IFEX) – The editor and an employee of the weekly magazine “Pakistan News” were arrested in Karachi on 8 July 1999. Police also ransacked the magazine’s offices and seized copies of the magazine from newsagents throughout the province. According to police, Naveed Shad Arain and Nisar Mehmood, an editor and a staffer with the magazine, […]

(PPF/IFEX) – According to PPF, Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL), India’s sole gateway to the Internet, has blocked the web site of Pakistan’s leading English language daily newspaper, “Dawn”. According to “The Times of India”, Internet users in India have been unable to connect to the “Dawn” website for more than a week. A VSNL […]

(PPF/IFEX) – Najam Sethi, editor of “The Friday Times”, has accused the government of using the income tax department to intimidate him and his wife Jugno Mohsin for their outspoken views. Sethi was arrested on 8 May 1999 on charges of sedition, but was released unconditionally on 2 June. All the charges against him were […]

(PPF/IFEX) – In New Delhi on 2 June 1999, the Indian minister for information and broadcasting, Pramod Mahajan, banned the transmission of Pakistan Television (PTV) by cable operators. According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), Mahajan said cable operators throughout the country would be prohibited from telecasting PTV programmes because of the “vilification campaign against India, especially […]

(PPF/IFEX) – Najam Sethi, chief editor of “The Friday Times”, was released on 2 June 1999 by the government. **Updates IFEX alerts of 31 May, 26 May, 25 May, 18 May, 12 May, 10 May, 6 May, 5 May and 19 April 1999** The announcement was made at the Supreme Court on 2 June by […]

(PPF/IFEX) – On 19 May 1999 in Lahore, police assaulted a photographer and a reporter covering a funeral procession of four alleged robbers who were killed in a police encounter. Naseer Chaudhry, a photographer of the daily evening newspaper “Naya Akhbar”, suffered a fractured leg as he was thrown from a tractor-trolley. Chaudhry was taking […]