Scribes who helped trace Kasab's family held

[Skeptic]

Two journalists held after helping media probe Mumbai attacker’s background

Two Pakistani journalists, Rab Nawaz Joya and Javed Kanwal Chandor, have been held since 10 November in a police station in Okara district, in the northeastern province of Punjab. Although charged with theft and fraud, they were arrested for helping Pakistani and international news media get background information about Ajmal Kasab, a participant in the November 2008 terrorist attacks in the Indian city of Mumbai.

In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, the Pakistani government denied that Kasab was of Pakistani origin.

“It is intolerable that two Pakistani journalists are being treated like criminals for helping to establish the truth about the only surviving member of the Mumbai attackers commando,” Reporters Without Borders said. “This information may have been embarrassing for the Pakistani authorities, but it is unacceptable that these two reporters are being held just for doing their duty as journalists.”

The press freedom organisation added: “The absurd charges brought against them fail to conceal the real motive for their arrest. We call for them to be freed without delay and for all the charges to be dropped.”

Joya, a correspondent for the Urdu-language newspaper Akhbar Al-Mashriq, and Chandor, a Dunya News TV reporter, are accused of trying to steal money and a mobile phone from a car parked outside the Depalpur Press Club, of which Joya is the president and Chandor is the secretary general. They are also accused of embezzling public funds.

Lahore-based journalists who spoke to them in the police station where they are being held in very poor conditions quoted them as saying they were being punished for “helping national and international media know more about Ajmal Kasab” and for helping reporters to get to Faridkot, the village near Depalpur where Kasab is from.

“Since then we are facing hostility from people in the security agencies and local administration,” the two journalists added.

 

[PostColonial]

Shocking, but not surprising. Journalists are routinely targeted and/or threatened by agencies.

 

[Skeptic]

Yeah and on the same page we are expected to a certain Mr. Rehman Malik saying we are doing whatever we can to bring perpetrators of 26/11 to justice.

I am sure extreme measures are being taken, just that the objective is a cover-up rather than justice.

Also puts to rest of all the claims of free media in Pakistan - It is easier to find a superman than free media in Pakistan. I hope they do find a superman to lead them out of the current soup.

 

[mjnaushad]

They are charged with Theft and Fraud. How could you say that they are punished for Ajmal kasaab Family case?? We should not judge someone when the courts are present.

 

[arihant]

They are charged with Theft and Fraud. How could you say that they are punished for Ajmal kasaab Family case?? We should not judge someone when the courts are present.

If I am correct, both have been charged.

 

[Skeptic]

They are charged with Theft and Fraud. How could you say that they are punished for Ajmal kasaab Family case?? We should not judge someone when the courts are present.

they are accused of trying to steal money and a mobile phone from a car parked outside the Depalpur Press Club, of which Joya is the president and Chandor is the secretary general.

Yeah sounds very credible. Also reporters sans borders is a credible source.

Suddenly 2 journalists turn into petty thieves after they worked on what was probably the story of a lifetime. how very convenient.

 

[mjnaushad]

If I am correct, both have been charged.

Yes both are charged. But if they are really held for 26/11 reporting they'll be released because the courts will examine all scenarios and evidences. All i am saying let the courts do there job. you guys dont need to give your decision by just reading one sided propaganda news report.

 

[Spring Onion]

Joya, a correspondent for the Urdu-language newspaper Akhbar Al-Mashriq, and Chandor, a Dunya News TV reporter, are accused of trying to steal money and a mobile phone from a car parked outside the Depalpur Press Club, of which Joya is the president and Chandor is the secretary general. They are also accused of embezzling public funds.

why such a petty charge ??? I mean if they were being punished for tracing Ajmal Kasab's origion then there should have been something big which could have made them an example and create fear among the journalist community lollz

and you such silly charges of theft that too from a car parkes somewhere, well this charge is going to create big big problem for the Police and not these journalists
\
Such a silly drama.

If at they were have bee punished i would have suggested a dreaded charge which even the world community would not have stopped.

So the bottom line is get a life

 

[PeacefulIndian]

why such a petty charge ??? I mean if they were being punished for tracing Ajmal Kasab's origion then there should have been something big which could have made them an example and create fear among the journalist community lollz

and you such silly charges of theft that too from a car parkes somewhere, well this charge is going to create big big problem for the Police and not these journalists
\
Such a silly drama.

If at they were have bee punished i would have suggested a dreaded charge which even the world community would not have stopped.

So the bottom line is get a life

The bottom line is, Pakistan is doing whatever is can to delay/postpone/cripple the 26/11 case. The aim is not to 'punish' the reporters to death, but to entangle them in another case, any case, so that 26/11 can take a back seat.

If I were a reporter, I would not try to steal money from a car outside of my club where I hold a responsible position. That in itself indicates that the charges are framed & the whole motive is to just slow the things down by whatever means.

 

[idea123]

The charge on the journalists give the game up. This is meant to harass the media.The intention is to create the sense of fear among the journalists so that they tow thw gov. line on terrorism

 

[Spring Onion]

The bottom line is, Pakistan is doing whatever is can to delay/postpone/cripple the 26/11 case. The aim is not to 'punish' the reporters to death, but to entangle them in another case, any case, so that 26/11 can take a back seat.

If I were a reporter, I would not try to steal money from a car outside of my club where I hold a responsible position. That in itself indicates that the charges are framed & the whole motive is to just slow the things down by whatever means.

These journalists have nothing to do with the case proceedings in anyway.

The charges made against them are more than a joke hence it seems some local police have some phada with them otherwise if they were punished for regarding their story on Kasab then they would not have been alive.

 

[Spring Onion]

The charge on the journalists give the game up. This is meant to harass the media.The intention is to create the sense of fear among the journalists so that they tow thw gov. line on terrorism

then you dont know the journalists here. We do not toe the government line and do not get harassed that easily.


This case is simple some internal rift of these men with the local police or any infulencial feudal over something else and not Kasab story.

 

[SecularHumanist]

then you dont know the journalists here. We do not toe the government line and do not get harassed that easily.

Then you don't remember what happen in Kasab's village after 26/11.
The people were so scared and they had been threatened by the authorities to keep silent or deny that Kasab was from that village. There was also 'roughing up' of journalists that came to investigate Kasab's life.

Revealed: home of Mumbai's gunman in Pakistan village | World news | The Observer

 

[Atheist]

Lol people of Pakistan supporting GoP - maybe the first time in my stay in Defence.pk

 

[Skeptic]

then you dont know the journalists here. We do not toe the government line and do not get harassed that easily.

Probably the reason why Pakistan is ranked 159 out of 175 countries in the Press Freedom Index 2009.
Reporters Sans Frontières

This case is simple some internal rift of these men with the local police or any infulencial feudal over something else and not Kasab story.

Yes and what was his name again - Amar Singh right....

They have caused a major dent to collective egos of Pakistani ruling class and to their credibility in International forums. Club his with lack of attention received by Rehman Malik and his rants of credible proof at a suitable time and yu will get the picture. This is a clear case of state establishing control over media and we'll see paksitan's rankings plummeting further in the press freedom index, while the poor jornalists will rot in a state prison charged with petty crimes.


We have one person arrested for attack on GHQ and within an hours channels start broadcasting tapes of his ill deeds, and still the media stays free of government control.

tut tut... too bad even journalists are not standing up for them.