Pakistan Press Foundation

(PPF/IFEX) – On 7 December 1998, Syed Ashraf Ali, a correspondent with the daily newspaper “Business Recorder”, was travelling with his family on the “Sukkur Express” train in the sleeper class. He was disturbed late at night, abused, and threatened by the railway ticket examiners. The Sukkur Union of Journalists (SUJ) lodged a protest against […]

(PPF/IFEX) – PPF is reporting that on 2 December 1998, five Pakistani journalists were denied entry to the White House to cover a meeting between Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and US President Bill Clinton. The agenda of the meeting covered the lifting of sanctions imposed against Pakistan and the signing of the Comprehensive Test […]

(PPF/IFEX) – Police have raided the homes of two senior journalists, Idrees Bakhtiar and Naseer Ahmad Saleemi, within a forty eight hour period, claiming to be hunting for terrorists allegedly involved in the murders of an ex-governor and a senior editor. On 26 November 1998 at 1:45 a.m. (local time), Bakhtiar, a senior staff reporter […]

(PPF/IFEX) – According to PPF, Shahzad Saleemi, journalist and General Secretary of the Jhang Union of Journalists (JUJ) was recently arrested further to the publication of an item in his newspaper levelling allegations of corruption against an Education Officer (EO), Ljaz Zafar, who is the subject of several ongoing investigations in different courts. With the […]

(PPF/IFEX) – On 6 November 1998, a sports reporter from the daily “Dawn”, Sami-ul Hasan, was repeatedly manhandled, beaten and assaulted when he tried to confirm a complaint of “entry denied” to bona-fide ticket holders of a cricket match from the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP). When Hassan approached DSP Nazir Mirbahar, the officer said […]

(PPF/IFEX) – On the morning of 21 October 1998, unidentified culprits ransacked the offices of the “Daily Post International” and bi-weekly “Badbaan” newspapers, located in the G-8 Markaz district of Islamabad. Sohail Rana, chief editor of the “Daily Post International” and “Badbaan” alleged that Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) and Station (SHO) House Officer Margalla masterminded […]

(PPF/IFEX) – On 18 October 1998, Lakhano Siyal, a senior journalist, was found murdered by unknown assailants when his family members returned home from a marriage function at 2 p.m. (local time). Siyal was former vice-president of the Hyderabad Press Club and ex-chief reporter for the dailies “Aftab” and “Ibrat”. He had also worked for […]

(PPF/IFEX) – According to PPF, on 6 October 1998, Afghan journalist Majeeda Bibi survived an attempt on her life when two unidentified persons fired at her while she was en route to a local market. The incident occured at 5 p.m. (local time) in Peshawar, Pakistan. The journalist escaped unhurt. Bibi had received a number […]