There has been a rash of attacks against media organisations in Pakistan’s Sindh province recently. In the last week of July, unknown persons attacked the offices of Geo, Jang, and the News in a number of cities, attacked staff members and damaged equipment. In a related development, copies of Jang and The News were burned across the province.

A statement by Owais Aslam Ali, Chairman, Pakistan Press International (PPI), and IPI Executive Board Member follows:

“Activists belonging to nationalist parties in Pakistan Southern province of Sindh attacked the offices of Pakistan’s largest media group which includes the ‘Geo’, ‘Jang’ and The ‘News’ in a number of cities, damaged equipment and harassed the staff.  They also assaulted newspaper hawkers disrupting the distribution of the newspapers and intimidated television cable operators to stop distribution of Geo television channels in many towns of the province.  Nationalist parties claimed their action was justified as Geo had broadcast a talk-show on 23 July on the sensitive issue of the division of Sindh.

While every person and group has the right to criticize editorial policies and decisions, violence and intimidation against news organisations are unacceptable and should be condemned in the strongest possible terms.  The main reason for the alarming increase in the level of violence against media organisations and journalists in recent years is that perpetrators of such acts are not held accountable.

Indeed the government itself has been attempting to subdue the Geo and the Jang Group and this perhaps has emboldened others to take the law into their own hands.  The government should realise the seriousness of the situation and as a first step end all punitive steps against the country’s largest group, and then announce a policy of zero tolerance towards those who use violence to dictate what the media can or cannot discuss.”

“The government of Pakistan must desist from intimidating media, and must do everything in its power to bring the perpetrators of crimes against press freedom to justice,” said IPI Director Alison Bethel McKenzie. “Actions like burning newspapers and attacking journalists for doing their job have no place in a country that calls itself a democracy, and must not be tolerated.”