Pakistani government moves to silence broadcasters
New York, June 4, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by a presidential ordinance enacted on Sunday that gives the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulation Authority (PEMRA) the power to halt broadcastersí transmissions, close offices, seize equipment, and revoke licenses. The measure also increases fines for violations of PEMRA regulations from 1 million rupees (US$16,665)…
Amid growing political dissent, Pakistan aims to curtail live TV coverage
New York, June 1, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned about reports that the Pakistani government will seek to restrict live television broadcasts of anti-government demonstrations. The reports, from several local news outlets and sources, come as news outlets face increasing official pressure for covering the street demonstrations sparked by President Pervez Musharraf’s ouster…
Journalists threatened by political group
MAY 29, 2007 Posted May 30, 2007 Mazhar Abbas, Agence France Presse Asif Hussain, Agence France Presse Zarrar Khan, Associated Press THREATENED Identical envelopes, each containing a 30mm bullet, were planted on cars belonging to the three journalists and parked outside the Karachi Press Club. They were discovered at around 10 p.m. Days before. the…
Grenades damage journalist’s house
MAY 22, 2006 Posted May 30, 2007 Nasrullah Afridi, Daily Mashriq THREATENED, ATTACKED Unidentified assailants lobbed two hand grenades at Afridi’s house in Bara, the main town of Khyber Agency in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, damaging the surrounding wall and veranda. No one was injured in the attack.
CPJ condemns assault on Pakistani journalist
New York, May 18, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the continuing escalation of attacks on journalists amid Pakistan’s deteriorating security situation. The latest incident is an assault on Shakil Ahmad Turabi, editor-in-chief of the South Asian News Agency (SANA), in Islamabad. Turabi was pulled from his car and beaten in a commercial…
TV station attacked during civil unrest
MAY 12, 2006 Posted May 16, 2007 Aaj TV ATTACKED Amid violence between anti- and pro-government groups in Karachi, the independent station’s office came under fire from what media reports identified as pro-government supporters. At least 34 people were reported killed in the unrest.
Concern in Pakistan as Supreme Court threatens to stifle news coverage
New York, May 10, 2007—The Pakistani Supreme Court should immediately withdraw the alarming press directive issued on Wednesday that is designed to stifle coverage of a controversial issue involving the court, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The court warned print and electronic media to avoid “any interference” in the high-profile dispute over the…
Photographer killed, three other journalists injured in Pakistan attack
New York, May 3, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists mourns the death of freelance photographer Mehboob Khan, who was killed in an April 28 suicide bomb attack aimed at Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao. The minister escaped with minor injuries, but 28 people died in the attack at a political rally in the small town of…
Backsliders: The 10 countries where press freedom has most deteriorated
New York, May 2, 2007–Three nations in sub-Saharan Africa are among the places worldwide where press freedom has deteriorated the most over the last five years, a new analysis by the Committee to Protect Journalists has found. Ethiopia, where the government launched a massive crackdown on the private press by shutting newspapers and jailing editors,…