The Price of Journalism

faraz

your last comment is good enaf to reveal your bias..well whatever i wrote did not base on any personal bias...the very fact that mr qureshi left was evident that he was not able enough to survive in an extrememly complex political environment like pakistan...he tried tho...he also indulged in nepotism when he brought in his younger brother sulman qureshi as his advisor and it was a common knowledge that sulman qureshi in turn was giving lucaritive assignments to his own friends in the federal government...

Re Ferozk and Godot

I realize this is a tangent but I disagree that ``Pakistan will be saved by outsiders and not by Pakistanis themselves.`` While, contacting Amnesty International and Senators may be worthwhile; you should be careful about the implications of involving foreign entitities in a political problem of this nature. I honestly feel that Mr. Sethi will be released soon...I think the government miscalculated how popular he is within the educated sections of society. However, if the goons in Isloo are getting pressure from foreigners to release a guy that they are eviodently portraying as a ``foreign agent``; you might inadvertantly help them sell their lies to the general public.

At the end of the day the only people that can force meaningful change in Pakistan are people with a vested interest in the survival of the country...and that are the Pakistani themselves and not NGOs and foreign governments.

Re: Godot

I agree. Pakistan will be saved by outsiders and not by Pakistanis themselves. I am already taking steps to contact people and see if this a possible as a policy option.

If each InterActer! call or e-mails Amnesty International, there would be enough grassroots support to warrant AI to act on the matter!

re sfa

Exactly how does Moeen Qureshi a failure? That he fulfilled his obligation and didn`t steal from the country. Can you name one other Pakistani leader in recent times that has not been accused of corruption? Also, the strength of a government is measured by its ability to effect meaningful change not to shamelessly silence its critics. That you think everyone who criticizes the government has an agenda, ie someone else they want to bring is appalling. Having read the Friday Times for a while now, I can assure that they are not partial to any political faction in the country.

Faraz

PS. DOWN WITH THE TIND!!

re sfp,

we need a strong govt, not a strong opressive dictatorship.

shandana

Produce Sethi, HC directs Sharif Govt

From PTI

ISLAMABAD, MAY 9: The arrest of the editor of an English weekly in Pakistan threatened today to turn into a full-blown war between the Nawaz Sharif government and media even as police and intelligence agencies denied their role in his detention.

The government had claimed that Najam Sethi, Editor of Friday Times, was arrested in Lahore by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) on Saturday on charge of trying ``to endanger the sovereignty of Pakistan`` by making ``some statements`` at a seminar in New Delhi recently, and to inquire into his alleged links with the Indian Agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

As mystery surrounds the journalist`s whereabouts, the Lahore High Court has issued a notice to the government on a petition filed by Sethi`s wife, Jugnoo Mohsin, seeking production of Sethi in the court. The hearing will come up before the court on Monday.

``I am not aware of Sethi`s arrrest,`` a senior military official working in ISI`s Internal Security Wing was quoted as saying byEnglish daily The News.

Similarly officials of the civilian Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) also expressed ignorance about the raid at Sethi`s House and his arrest. The Lahore police also denied their involvement in his detention.

``Police have nothing to do with this raid and I have no information who conducted the raid and where they had taken Sethi,`` the Lahore SSP was quoted as saying by The Dawn newspaper.

Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.

Dawn report



The Friday Times Editor Najam Sethi arrested

Dawn Report

LAHORE, May 8: Senior journalist and editor of The Friday Times, Najam Sethi, was taken into custody by plainclothesmen at his Sir Maratab Ali Road residence in Gulberg in the small hours of Saturday.

A spokesman for the federal government, confirming the arrest in Islamabad, said Mr Sethi had been taken into custody for interrogation by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for his alleged connections with the Indian intelligence agency, RAW (Research and Analysis Wing).

On Saturday around 2:45am several dozen officials of ISI stormed into his house and held up the two armed watchmen. Some of them were in police uniform while the others in plainclothes. All of them carried automatic weapons. They severely beat up the watchmen and forced them to lead the way to Mr Sethi`s room.

Talking to Dawn Jugnoo Mohsin, wife Najam Sethi, said she heard her watchman shout that the police had raided the house. She said: ``As I opened the door at least eight persons forced their way in pushing me to the ground. Mr Sethi was in the bed and the intruders went straight to him. They attacked

him with batons inflicting heavy blows on the head, neck and shoulders.``

Ms Mohsin said: ``Two intruders were in police uniform while the remaining persons in plainclothes. One of the intruders was holding handcuffs and he used their chain to hit Mr Sethi.

``When I asked them to produce the warrants for arrest and entry into a private property, one of the intruders said, `we will kill him (Mr Sethi) instead of showing the warrants`,`` she added.

The intruders dragged Mr Sethi out of the room while continuously hitting him. One official grabbed hold of Jugnoo`s hands while the other tied her hands with a rope. Later, she was locked up in a dressing room.

Ms Mohsin said after a brief struggle she managed to free her hands and came out of the dressing room by breaking the lock. She said the watchmen told her that the intruders had come in at least 20 vehicles, some of them were police vans while others were private vehicles.

She said the intruders were operating under the command of an officer sitting in a white car bearing a government registration number plate. During the whole operation the officer did not came out of the car.

Ms Mohsin said while leaving the officials had also locked the main gate of the house with chain apparently to prevent anybody from going out or following them.

The arrest of Mr Sethi was being feared for the past few days. In a press statement issued on Friday he had expressed the apprehension that some miscreants belonging to Pakistan Muslim League might attack his offices situated on The Mall. Mr Sethi had stated that the Punjab chief minister, Shahbaz Sharif, and PML Youth Wing chairman, Khwaja Saad Rafiq, would be directly responsible for any harm to his property or person.

It could not be immediately ascertained who had taken Mr Sethi into custody. The police concerned were contacted but they expressed their ignorance about the raid. The police and FIA officials were contacted soon afterwards but they denied any involvement in the raid or the arrest of Mr Sethi.

Talking to reporters, the Lahore SSP, Saud Aziz, said he was not aware of any such operation and denied any involvement with the raid or the arrest.

He said: ``Police have nothing to do with this raid and I have no information who conducted the raid and where they had taken Mr Sethi.``

FIA officials, too, expressed their ignorance. The FIA Lahore Zone`s deputy director, Javed Noor, told reporters that no official of the FIA had participated in the raid.

The confusion as to who had conducted the raid cleared late in the evening when a spokesman of the federal government in Islamabad made a statement saying that Mr Sethi had been arrested by the ISI.

The spokesman said Najam Sethi`s recent statement in India was very damaging for the image of Pakistan and had not been expected from a journalist of his calibre. ``It is unexpected that he would deliver such a derogatory speech about his own country unless there is a nefarious motive behind it. He has been trying to endanger the sovereignty of Pakistan and has been condemning the creation of Pakistan.``

The spokesman said it was suspected that the journalist had some nexus with RAW. To unearth such links, it was imperative to investigate him in the matters of national security. Consequently, the ISI had taken him into custody.

Mr./Ms. sfa:

Pls inform us of whatever hidden agenda you are alluding to.

These interacts are ostensibly about our views on the dastardly abduction and terrocracy of the Pakistan Adminstration. Or are you the one who believes in shooting the messenger?

Veeresh:

I wish you had not written about the ``pirate`` radio station. I know somebody who has been working on an off-shore radio station to beam the news to Pakistan like it is. If this project materialises, the Knee-Jerkers would easily claim it is an Indian effort to sabotage the existence and integrity of Pakistan. For this very reason the Radio Azad Pakistan will not be based on Indian soil.

regards

dear temp

let me assure you that i am very pro democracy and pro all kind of rights...i obviously do not appreciate this step by the nawaz government...i cant understand why can they not let journalists in particular and everyone else in general perform independently...

I am also extremely liberal in thr true sense of the word...but i have serious reservations when the jounalists start critisizing the government right from the beginning...be it nawaz or bb...we want a strong government right now...pakistan is going thru a very crucial phase and we cant afford to have a weak prime minister...all journalists like beena should be asked just one question...who do they want to bring in as the alternative PM...when najam sethi spoke in delhi...he also referred to some institution bringing in the replacement...so i wonder which institution was he referring to...we have already seen a PM like that when Moeen Quereshi was brought in but to everyone`s utter dismay...he was a total faliure...Actually Nawaz is doing a good job specially when he has already been there and done that...if you would bring someone new how can you be sure that he/she would be a strong leader and one thing is for sure that a country like ours which has no mechanism of efficient administration can not survive without a leader...if you ask me i would say that instead of changing faces...change the system...the new self functional system should be based on the american model maybe with heavy reliance on academia(universities, profesors, research institutions)to control the policy matters and the day to day administration should be completely decentralized on zilla and tehsil levels...maybe i answered your question...maybe i could not but i tried...

NS`s comments to India reflect an open and profoundly passionate analysis of Pakistan`s problems. In contrast some of the questions posed by the Indian audience reflect the same tit-for-tat mentality that Pakistani/Indian psyche has made us so suspicious of each other - pretty much what NH was critiquing.

I agree completely with a reponse below. For all your SCOURGING cirticisms of the West, and all your exalting of nations of Islam, have your liberties suspended before you inspect a nations` corrupt and hypocritical exploitation of Islam which has taken away the very essence of what your religion calls supreme the, equality of ``mankind`` and equal people have equal rights of speech.

Clearly, there is no equality in Pakistan - the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments of the constituion of the United States signify the end of slavery and the period of reconstruction (at least on paper); while in no way do I hold the US as the upholer of democracy and human rights, what are our constitutional amendments but blind, desperate gropings od retarded idiots like Nawaz Sharif, his stooges, to grab as much and whatever they can lay their hands on -

beena!!

i think its high time that we all start doing something positive for our country...

a country which has given us so much...

please stop acting on your hidden and now not so hidden agenda...

every one in lahore knows who you are and what your priorities are...

Another incident to really show how ``sharif`` Nawaz

Sharif is. What is more disturbing and sad is the fact that when most of the world is preparing to enter the new millinium looking forward and hoping that the next century will bring in peace and more mutual understanding the ``sharif zadas`` of Pakistan have done all they could to drag the country back rather than forward.

I will irk many people by saying this , but I am glad in a way that the founding fathers of the nation are not around today to look at the state of the affairs.

After the Jang Group, the frontier Post, it`s now Mr Sethi. Benazir can be accused of many things , but even she did`nt take up on the press the way our ``sharif`` prime minister is doing.

Mr Sethi has been accused of tarnishing the image of Pakistan in India. As yet I havent heard of the Indian media giving importance to this issue. On the other hand the arrest of Mr Sethi will bring out this incident. And what Mr Sethi is supposed to have said in India ( if he even said it ! ) can hardly be objectionable to us Pakistanis. He would be merely stating the facts!!!!

I hope the journalist community of Pakistan makes the strongest protest againsr Mr Sethis arrest, and we the public support them fully.

Interview with Najam Sethi:

All times Indian Std Time.

First tx of Sethi interview (excerpts) on CNBC 2030-2100 Monday 10 may 99, and then repeated, as part of India Business Week.

Full text of Sethi interview planned for Thursday 13May`99, 40 minutes, time yet unfixed but likely 2100 hrs and then repeat again maybe 2300 hrs? But this was decided on Friday before all this happened!

What Najam Sethi said in his lecture in India is an absolute truth. All thinking Pakistanis know that. The government of Pakistan is using that lecture as an excuse to legitimize killing him. Those Pakistanis who have an iota of love for Pakistan must not let that happen.

Najam Sethi loves Pakistan more than all those running Pakistan combined.

Re: Feroz

I see an urgency of tying Western aid to Pakistan government`s deplorable behavior, as you said in another discussion of ours.

Maybe it`s a blessing in disguise that Pakistan government has brought the country to a point where without the foreign charity in Pakistan`s extended begging bowl, Pakistan cannot survive.

I say use this begging bowl to force Pakistan government to act in a way that is best for the country. Pakistan leadership has no self-respect or shame. I say don`t drop a nickel in its begging bowl until it changes its behavior. To start with, the government must let Najam Sethi go.

I hope a message like this one is being sent to the Western donors. Ironically, They are Pakistan`s last hope.

May 9, 1999

FYI the following statement is being faxed the Prime Minister of Pakistan and is being released to the World Media and Peace movement inititatives everywhere. Please circulate widely



8 May 1999, Amsterdam

We fellows of The Transnational Institute, scholars and activists from different parts of the world attending this international meeting strongly condemn the systematic harrasment of journalists, specifically those who have been opposing nuclearisation of Pakistan. We are deeply concerned at the recent spate of abductions and arrests of senior journalists like Najam Sethi and the ransacking of the house of Imtiaz Alam a noted columnist.

We also condemn the decision of Pakistani and Indian governments to celebrate the anniversary of Nuclear tests conducted on May 11 and 28 last year. We call upon the two governments to refrain from proceeding with Nuclear and Missile development. We demand that the five official

Nuclear weapons states immediatly initiate negotiations on complete Nuclear disarmament in accordance with their obligation under Article Nuclear disarmament in accordance with their obligation under Article 6 of the NPT, the mandate of the World court and the repeated request of the UN General assembly.

Signed by:

1. Karamat Ali (Pakistan)

2. Ari Sitas (South Africa)

3. Theo Roncken (Bolivia)

4. Karel Koster (Netherlands)

5. Danial Chavez (Uruguay)

6. Roger van Zwanenburg (Britain)

7. John Cavanagh (U.S.)

8. Daphne Wysham (U.S.)

9. Dot Keet (South Africa)

10. Peter Weiss (U.S.)

11.Amrita Chhachhi (India)

12. Phyllis Bennis (U.S.)

13. Praful Bidwai (India)

14. James Early (U.S.)

15.Cristine Estrada (Spain)

16. Mariano Aguirre (Spain)

17. Hilary Wainright (U.K.)

18. Howard Wachtel (U.S.)

19. Walden Bello (Philippines)

20. Joel Rocamora (Philippines)

21.Alex Weldhof (Netherlands)

22. Pauline Tiffen (U.K.)

23. Marieme Helie-Lucas (Algeria)

24.Ricardo Soberon (peru)

25.Coletta Youngers (U.S.)

26.Margarita Nanda Schulz (Argentina)

27.Martin Jelsma (Netherlands)

28. Oronto Douglas (Nigeria)

29. Tom Blickman (Netherlands)

30. Susan George (France)

31. Harsh Kapoor (India)

Matt Schillings

TNI - Office Manager

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