Arrest of journalists condemned
NEW YORK, Nov 20: Organisations working for press freedom on Tuesday condemned the police action against, and arrest of, journalists in Karachi and Hyderabad.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said the arrests came as the organisation was taking part in an international on-the-spot study of the situation in Pakistan.
The Committee to Protect Journalists said it was time for the Musharraf government to back away from its attempts to control the media.
In a statement, CPJ executive director Joel Simon said: “Jailing journalists is exactly the wrong tactic at a time when the country needs more, not less, media coverage of the events unfolding in Pakistan.”
Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists secretary-general Mazhar Abbas, who is in New York to receive CPJ’s annual International Press
Freedom Awards, said: “It seems like the government has declared a war of terror against media”.
WASHINGTON: The Coalition of Pakistani Journalists in the United States called for restoration of Geo and ARY One television channels.
The coalition noted that since the imposition of emergency, journalists had been targeted by the government for harsh treatment while engaging in peaceful protests for their rights and even while performing their duty.
LONDON: A group of about 70 people from all walks of life held a candle-lit vigil in front of Bush House, headquarters of BBC radio to show solidarity with the people of Pakistan.
Speakers termed draconian President Musharraf’s recent actions against the media.