Pakistan newspaper 'forced to close'

By Zafar Iqbal
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) say it is alarmed over the closure of an Urdu daily in Pakistan.
The IFJ says 'harassment and intimidation' by military forces are continuing to 'lay siege' to two more newspapers in Quetta city of Balochistan province.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says it is shocked at the development.
RSF says the newspaper that closed, the Urdu daily, Asaap, had come under "tremendous pressure" from the government and the security forces.
The media freedom organisation says the security forces were controlling the newspaper's offices "both inside and out."
RSF said "the control and intrusions on the part of the security forces constitute a violation of press freedom."
"The government is adding to the gang-related and Taliban threats with an unacceptable crackdown on journalists.
"We urge the Pakistani authorities to get this harassment by the security forces stopped and to allow journalists to carry on their work normally."
Decision to close On August 18, the Quetta-based daily, Asaap, ceased publication in order after management said it needed to "protect its staff from intimidation."


They say members of the Frontier Corps (FC), have been blockading their offices for more than two weeks, harrassing staff, making it difficult for them to work.


"In such a situation, the Asaap management has decided that the newspaper will not be published," the newspaper's managment announced.


The chief editor of Asaap, Jan Mohammad Dashti, told local media representatives that he had been attacked, shot at and injured in the past.
Two more dailies claim harrassment
The FC has allegedly deployed solders around the offices of the Baluchistan Express, an English daily, and Azadi, an Urdu daily.


The newspapers say that the security forces were carrying out body searches, questioning and intimidating staff outside their offices.


"Our staff are being searched and checked by dozens of forces who also checked the papers and bags carried by the reporters," Siddiq Balouch, Editor of the Baluchistan Express and Azadi, said.
He said his staff were also interrogated by the FC for several hours.
The FC denies the allegations
The FC has responded to the claims saying that it is searching all people, including journalists, to seek "wanted people", who, it alleges, have started a separatist movement in the region.


The FC forces were called in the conflict province of Balochistan to counter a nationalist moment in 2006.
Major General Salim Nawaz, the head of FC denied the allegations that the deployment of military forces and their searches and checks have forced the Daily Aasaap to cease its publication. He also defended the deployment of the FC saying their presence at the newspaper offices was part of a routine search.


"Such investigations and searches are necessary to maintain law and order in the area, therefore, journalists could not be exempted," he said.


Note: The writer is freelance journalist and activist. He can be reached by logging on and clicking on his name (above). Zafar Iqbal also runs the Press for Peace initiative.
(Copyrights: Media Helping Media http://www.mediahelpingmedia.org/content/view/497/1/ )