ISLAMABAD, June 7: Standing Committee of the Senate on Information and Broadcasting on Monday expressed its grave concern over the growing number of incidents aimed at harassing and intimidating the press. The meeting also expressed its concern over reports that a cell had been formed to keep vigil on 35 journalists.

Federal Minister for Information and Media Development Mushahid Hussain, however, reiterated that the government was committed to the freedom of press and that the incidents that had taken place were isolated incidents at which the lower level of bureaucracy was involved.

He claimed that neither any list of 35 journalists existed nor any cell had been formed. He maintained that the PML government was media friendly.

The committee, with the exception of Senator Pervaiz Rashid, maintained that since 1997 more than 62 major incidents again the press had taken place. The committee continued to express grave concern at the situation despite the assurance of the Minister for Information. It decided to keep the situation under review and take up the matter again in the next meeting.

The committee also took a very serious note of the fact that the Indian government had banned the PTV transmissions in its territory and that all cable operators in India had been directed to blackout the PTV programmes to its viewers in India. It was concerned to learn that the Indian government had directed its security agencies to use force for the implementation of this directive.

The committee was of the view that it was a serious violation of the freedom of press and the right of the people to have access to information from the different sources of their choice. It termed the Indian government move a clear violation of the Articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and called upon the international community, particularly the organizations advocating and fighting for the freedom of press and journalistic ethics to take serious view of the Indian action.

Source: Dawn

Date:6/8/1999