To: IFEX Autolist (other news of interest)
From: Freedom House, abrams@freedomhouse.org
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Amanda Abrams
Freedom House Commends Suspension of Restrictive Media Decree in Pakistan
June 8, 2007 -- Freedom House commends the Pakistan government's withdrawalof restrictions on the press introduced earlier this week, and urgesauthorities to respect civil liberties and adhere to the rule of law duringthe country's ongoing political crisis.
Following months of protests, Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf issueda decree Monday that gave sweeping powers to a government body charged withregulating media. The body would have effectively been able to seizeequipment and suspend licenses of broadcasters, including those that airedlive coverage of the demonstrations. Yesterday, in response to local andinternational outcry, the decree was suspended, pending review by acommittee.
"The authorities' response to Pakistan's ongoing demonstrations and crisisof governance can and will be viewed as a test of the government's dedication to civil liberties and the rule of law," said Jennifer Windsor,executive director of Freedom House. "The fact that the protests have beenwell-organized and sustained speaks well for civil society in the country,despite government bans on freedom of assembly."
She continued, "In a country where political rights are not respected andgovernment transparency is very limited, it is critical to the country'sshort and long-term stability that the media be allowed freedom to reporton the news and inform the people."
Once a champion of freedom of expression, Musharraf has increasinglycracked down on the press in recent years. Despite ongoing persecution ofjournalists and economic pressures from the government, Pakistan's mediaremains both vibrant and vital.
According to Freedom in the World 2007, Freedom House's annual survey ofpolitical rights and civil liberties, "While a number of journalistspractice self-censorship, Pakistan continues to have some of the mostoutspoken newspapers in South Asia, and the broadcast sector has becomeconsiderably more diverse. In the absence of a completely independentlegislature and judiciary, the media remained one of the only forums thatprovided oversight of official actions and policy."
Pakistan ranks as Not Free in the 2007 edition of Freedom in the World. The country received a rating of 6 (on a scale of 1 to 7, with 7 as the lowest) for political rights and a 5 for civil liberties.
Freedom House, an independent nongovernmental organization that supports the expansion of freedom in the world, has been monitoring political rights and civil liberties in Pakistan since 1972.
For more information on Pakistan, visit:
Freedom in the World 2007: Pakistan
Freedom of the Press 2007: Pakistan
Countries at the Crossroads 2006: Pakistan
**The information contained in this autolist item is the sole
responsibility of Freedom House**
