Pakistani press bullied

By: Joe Strupp Several journalists assaulted and arrested

Several Pakistan journalists have been subjected to harassment, assaults, and even abductions by government officials in the past two weeks after cooperating with a British television series that sought to expose corruption in the Pakistan government, according to international press freedom groups.
"People in Pakistan say they have never seen anything like it," says Kavita Menon, Asian program coordinator for the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists. "Journalists are being arrested and beaten simply for talking."
Menon cites five instances of journalists being assaulted or arrested since May 2, with each having some connection to the BBC-produced program "Correspondent." The show is planning a segment on alleged corruption by Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
The most recent incident occurred on May 7, with the arrest of Najem Sethi, editor of the English-language Friday Times based in Lahore. He was dragged from his bedroom, without shoes or glasses, in the early morning hours by police, according to his wife, Jugnoo Mohsin. She says the break-in followed threats against the couple after Sethi gave a speech in India that criticized Pakistan officials. He has yet to be released, but a high court justice ordered a report on his whereabouts last week.
"We're anxious to find out why this is happening," says BBC producer Guy Smith, who has produced three other projects in Pakistan during the past year with no problems. "We're very concerned to hear these things and do not want to exacerbate the situation."
Other recent efforts to punish or intimidate journalists in Pakistan include:
? The May 2 arrest of Mehmood Ahmed Khan Lodhi, investigations bureau chief for the Lahore edition of The News, an English-language daily, who was captured and interrogated for two days before being released. His freedom came about only after journalists covering the Punjab Assembly refused to report on legislative activity until Lodhi was freed.
? The May 4 arrest by Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency of veteran journalist Hussain Haqqani, a columnist for the Friday Times and the Urdu-language Jang, who remains detained and is expected to be charged with sedition. His brother, Hassan Haqqani, a colonel in Pakistan's army, also was arrested and reportedly tortured for several hours before being released.
? A May 4 incident in which Ejaz Haider, Friday Times news editor, received a handwritten, unsigned note warning him to "put up bulletproof windows on your car."
? The May 5 vandalism of a car belonging to Imtiaz Alam, current affairs editor for The News in Lahore, who saw two men set fire to one of his two cars after breaking into his gated residence and pushing the vehicles into the street. He also says he has received numerous threats by phone in recent weeks.
The recent wave of assaults and arrests prompted the U.S. State Department to issue a statement last week calling for an end to the restrictive behavior.
"The actions on the part of the government of Pakistan raise serious doubts within the international community about the commitment of Pakistan to freedom of the press and the rule of law," the statement read. "We strongly urge the Pakistan government to release Najam Sethi and others being held and terminate immediately this unacceptable crackdown against members of the journalistic community in Pakistan."
Observers who monitor press freedom worldwide say Pakistan reporters have always been subjected to mild harassment and scrutiny but call the recent wave of abuse harsher than most. "It's not usually so overt," says Menon, whose organization sent a letter to the Pakistan government on May 5 demanding action to free the arrested journalists and stop future harassment. "This is very blatant government censorship."
Menon says the behavior also has affected other Pakistan journalists, who she says are afraid to speak out or cover some news for fear of similar retribution. "Journalists don't want to talk on the phone because they are increasingly worried that their phones are tapped," she says. "It is very unusual."
Shaheen Senbai, Washington, D.C., correspondent for Dawn, Pakistan's largest English-language daily, says the harassment is an obvious response to the BBC program. "It is a panic reaction of the government to something they did not expect," says Senbai. "The government really lost its cool."

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