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Journalists in Nepal, Pak harassed Lahore: A media monitor report prepared by the South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) has said that journalists in the subcontinent, especially from Nepal and Pakistan, were acutely harassed during the first three quarters of 2005 with journalists being kidnapped, threatened, tortured, arrested or even killed (particularly in Pakistan's tribal areas). The report was submitted by Hussain Naqi and Sadaf Arshad during the three-day second SAARC Journalists Summit - "Journalists Beyond Frontiers" - held at Dhaka recently. It specifically referred to the pathetic condition of journalists in Nepal and Pakistan. While, in Nepal the journalists were hrassed because of the suspension of various articles of the Himalayan kingdom's constitution, including Article 13 that guaranteed press and publication rights, the Pakistani journalists remained at the receiving end because of the withdrawal of government advertisements. Nepal affected most The report, however, said that Nepal was affected the most. According to the SAFMA report, in Pakistan the banned organisations operating under changed names and various tribal groups and leaders of political parties harassed journalists, even as offices of the Lahore Press Club, and various newspapers and private channel bureaus were ransacked and their staff harassed. Journalists were also harassed at the Waziristan tribal belt of Pakistan, where the Army was working against foreign and local militants, allegedly linked to Al Qaeda, the Daily Times quoted the report as saying, according to the SAFMA report. Journalists of the Ahmedi community continued facing problems like the closure of their printing presses, the report said, adding that the Pakistan government refused visas to a couple of foreign journalists and deported another, despite a valid visa, SAFMA charged. |
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