PAKISTAN: Whereabouts of journalist remains unknown following his detention by police officials 

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that a senior Pakistani journalist remains missing after being picked up by police officials on 24 July 2005. Mr Rasheed Channa had recently filed stories pertaining to the Sindh government, the conduct of its officials and Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, the Chief Minister. Soon after, he was picked up by police officials on the orders of a civil servant responsible for running the chief minister’s office in Karachi, and has not been seen since.

We are gravely concerned for Mr Channa’s wellbeing. We therefore ask for your intervention to help ensure his release. Please write to General Pervez Musharraf, the President of Pakistan, calling for his immediate intervention into Mr Channa’s disappearance. An independent investigation must be conducted without delay so as to ascertain Mr Channa’s whereabouts and establish what charges, if any, he is being detained on. If no arrest has been made, then Mr Channa should be released immediately. Investigations should also look into who is responsible for Mr Channa’s detention and legal action taken, if it is found that the law was broken during this process. The Sindh government must also be investigated regarding its treatment of the Dawn Group of newspapers and the general freedom of press and expression.

Urgent Appeals Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
——————————————————————-

DETAILED INFORMATION:

On 24 July 2005, Mr Rasheed Channa, a senior Pakistani journalist for the Star, the Karachi daily newspaper published by the Dawn Group of newspapers, was picked up by police officials on the orders of a civil servant responsible for running the chief minister’s office in Karachi.

A spokesman for the Dawn Group of newspapers issued a statement appealing to all organizations, nationwide and internationally to rally in defense of Mr Channa and the newspaper group in the name of freedom of press.

At this point in time, Mr Channa’s whereabouts remain unknown. Several police agencies and intelligence officials have denied his arrest and any knowledge of his present whereabouts.

Mr Channa is assigned to the Star in Karachi for covering affairs pertaining to the performance of the Sindh government. The arbitrary detention and possible arrest of Mr Channa appear closely linked to the stories filed by him pertaining to the Sindh government, the conduct of its officials and of Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, the Chief Minister.

The detention of Mr Channa appears to have taken place as a consequence of the latest salvo fired by the Sindh government against the Dawn Group of newspapers, which publishes the most influential English language newspapers and magazines in Pakistan.

In an abrupt move, six weeks ago the Sindh government, on the orders of the Chief Minister, moved to ban all government advertising in the Dawn Group in an attempt to silence critical opinions being expressed from newspapers and magazines within the group. Despite being explicitly informed by the publishers, the Federal government watched silently as the Sindh government waged its attack on the newspaper group.

The arrest of Mr Channa is being viewed as the first of a series of intended arrests of leading journalists and senior management personnel in the Dawn Group, ordered by Dr Mohammed Ali, the Secretary to the Chief Minister of Sindh. The fact that one official of the Sindh government refused to take any arbitrary action in the matter and that this official is currently awaiting an impending transfer from his senior position as a consequence of his courageous refusal is praiseworthy.

The Dawn Group has decided to take its case to the major national press bodies; the All Pakistan Newspapers Society, the Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors, and the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists. In addition the group has appealed to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and to all local and international organizations involved in the protection of press freedoms and civil rights in Pakistan.

They have also informed the relevant higher federal and provincial authorities of the excessive and illegal actions by the Sindh government since such actions constitute a willful violation of Article 19 of the Constitution of Pakistan. They believe it is the responsibility of the President, the Prime Minister, the Governor of Sindh, the Chief Justices of the Supreme Court and the High Courts, as well as officials responsible for the conduct of law and order at the provincial and federal levels to secure the life and health of Mr Channa.

SUGGESTED ACTION:

Please write to General Pervez Musharraf and other relevant authorities calling for their intervention in this case.

 

 

To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER