On November 8, it was reported that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had suddenly decided to block the newspaper for allegedly carrying some "anti-Pakistan" material. While refuting the charges, we see this as a mere excuse by the Pakistani authorities to muzzle the independent media. Besides being the editor-in-chief of the newspaper, I am a member of Society for Professional Journalists (SPJ) and South Asian Journalists Association (SAJA). I am currently a Hubert Humphrey Fellow, a programme sponsored by the US Department of State.
Throughout my professional career, I have always adhered to objective and balanced journalism. We have always provided sufficient coverage and space to the government as well as the opposition parties. Therefore, we believe the government has blocked our website in Pakistan to persuade The Baloch Hal to give up its editorial policy.
In the recent past, the security establishment in Pakistan shut down a couple of other newspapers in Balochistan. Journalists were abducted and put into torture cells. Even though the government expressed displeasure over our editorials, we, in return, provided adequate space to the official spokesmen to present their versions as we fully believe in the freedom of speech. However, this time the government did not take a democratic approach to convey its grievances and blocked our newspaper by leveling baseless charges. Thus, I would like to request Pakistan's liberal and democratic forces to support us in raising voice against the uncalled for official censorship of a moderate newspaper of Balochistan. In addition, we would appeal to the government via your newspaper to reconsider its decision which, we believe, is intended to restrict the freedom of speech.
Malik Siraj Akbar
Editor-in-chief
The Baloch Hal
No comments:
Post a Comment