(PPF/IFEX) – A number of journalists were injured on 15 September 1997 when police charged a procession of journalists and media workers protesting against incidents of attacks on newspaper offices and against the harassment of journalists in the interior of the Sindh province. The protest was in response to a growing number of attacks on […]
(PPF/IFEX) – A number of journalists were injured on 15 September
1997 when police charged a procession of journalists and media
workers protesting against incidents of attacks on newspaper
offices and against the harassment of journalists in the interior
of the Sindh province. The protest was in response to a growing
number of attacks on the offices of Sindhi newspapers including
the dailies “Sindh”, “Kawish” and “Awami Awaz”, and against
obstructing the circulation of newspapers.
Over 300 journalists and media workers, mainly belonging to
Sindhi language newspapers, took part in the march, which was
called by the Council of Sindhi Press (CSP) and supported by the
Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ). The marchers were
to hand over a memorandum to the chief minister of Sindh.
Police stopped the procession from proceeding to the chief
minister’s house. They assaulted the participants and snatched
their placards and banners. When the journalists tried to break
through a police cordon, the police charged with their batons.
The participants, despite being beaten up, kept moving ahead, but
were stopped near the chief minister’s house by another squad of
police, who again resorted to baton charging when the
participants tried to proceed further. However, some participants
managed to reach the chief minister’s house where Dr. Badar
Channa, additional information secretary of the ruling Pakistan
Muslim League (PML-N) party, came to receive the memorandum.
However, the press coordinator of the Council of Sindhi Press
(CSP), Rashid Rajar, refused to hand over the memorandum to him
because they wanted to hand it over to some responsible person.
He tore up the memorandum in protest, after which the
participants dispersed peacefully.
The action against the journalists and media workers was taken on
the orders of the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), the deputy
superintendent of police (DSP) and the station head officer (SHO)
of the area, all of whom were later suspended by the Sindh
government. An inquiry officer has also been appointed to conduct
a judicial inquiry into the incident. The officer has been
directed to submit a report of the incident within fifteen days.
Those who were injured by the police action include Zahid
Qaimkhani, correspondent for the daily “Sindh” and the PPI news
agency in Kandiaro, who had fractures in three of his fingers.
Others who were slightly injured in the attack include Zain
Daudpota, Joint Secretary of the Hyderabad Press Club, Arbab
Chandio, Haji Rahim Kunbhar, Ghulam Hassan Lander, Aslam Memon,
Mehboon Gul Jagirani, Nasir Dad, Abbas Jalbani, Sudhir Jokhio,
Zahir Mirani, Shakil Bachani, Altaf Khaskheli, Murtaza Kulhoro,
Ismail Khoso, Mehdi Shah, Shakil Ujjan, Ghulam Hussain Fateh,
Saleh Billo, Irshad Channa, Iqbal Mallah, Muhammed Ali, Rashid
Rajar, Rehman Sammo, Iqbal Saif and Lakhano Siyal.
The leaders of various political parties, as well as the Action
Committee for Human Rights, have strongly condemned the incident
and termed it as attack on freedom of expression and the press.
