| A senior journalist was murdered in mysterious circumstances
in the federal capital whereas 11 other incidents of attacks against
media were reported in the national press in October 2006, raising
the total number of attacks on press in 2006 to 100.
Monthly report on press freedom in Pakistan by Intermedia, an
NGO working to develop and strengthen media in Pakistan, says
that veteran journalist and Bureau Chief of PPI news agency,
Muhammad Ismail, was found dead in woods near the Super Market.
Media reports said that he was killed on October 31 night when
he went out for a routine evening walk. Ismail is the fourth journalist
to be killed this year. Earlier three journalists were murdered this year
– Muneer Ahmed Sangi of daily Kawish was killed on May 29 in Larkana,
Hayatullah Khan of The Nation was killed June 16 in North Waziristan
and Maqbool Hussain Siyal of Online news agency killed on September
14, 2006 .
In other incidents four journalists were robbed and tortured, two were
harassed by police and administration officials. There were three incidents
of attacks on media property whereas in two separate incidents journalists
were forcefully bared from performing their duties. MONTH WISE ATTACKS ON MEDIA | January - Oct 2006 | MONTHS | JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JULY | AUG | SEPT | OCT | No of Attacks | 6 | 7 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 13 | 10 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 
On October 30 Political Administration of Bajaur Agency stopped journalists
from visiting the area where at least 83 people were killed in an air strike on
a religious school. Senior journalists who were not allowed to visit the area
included Rahimullah Yusufzai of The News, Haroon Rashid of the BBC
Urdu Service, Mehmood Jan Babar of AVT Khyber TV and several others.
On the same day in Islamabad government authorities didn't allow beat
reporters to cover the engagements of the visiting royal couple. During the month, three incidents of attack on media property were
also reported in the press. In first incident, office of a Media NGO
‘Press for Peace' Muzaffarabad was attacked by some people. The office
furniture was ransacked and staff was injured during the attack. In second
incident copies of English daily the Dawn were set on fire in front of the
Hyderabad Press Club by some people who had snatched them from
news-stands and hawkers in Qasimabad Taluka and some other areas
of the city on October 22. In the third incident officials of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory
Authority (PEMRA) NWFP region on October 23 rd raided several cable
operators in Peshawar and seized their equipment for relaying proscribed
channels. In October two journalists threatened by police and administration officials.
In first incident, President Press Club Kot Digi, Syed Imam Ali Shah Bukhari,
was threatened of “dire consequences” by Talika Nazim Kot Digi Munawar Ali
Wasan for not vacating the press club building. The other incident of harassment was reported in Rawalpindi where a
journalist Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal was harassed and threatened by
Police ASI Muhammad Iqbal for reporting news of lawlessness in the areas. There were four incidents in which journalists were robbed. Kazim Raza,
an employee of English daily the Dawn was on his way home when armed
men stopped him and asked him to handover his motorcycle, The Star Karachi reported on October 5 2006 . On October 10, Station Director, Radio Pakistan Kohat, Laiq Zada was
deprived of cash and valuables, a report in Daily Aaj Peshawar said.
Two bandits snatched a mobile phone and cash from Shoaib Ahmed
Ansari, sub-editor Pakistan Press International (PPI) staffer at
Tarachand Road , Karachi , The Nation reported. Muhammad Nawaz Tahir, senior vice president of Pakistan
Federal Union of Journalists, was covering a protest event in front
of Lahore Press Club when his motorcycle was impounded by policemen,
Daily Times reported. Area | Murder | Injured/
Tortured | Detained/
Kidnapped | Harassment/
Threats | Media banned | Attack on Media Property | Total | Punjab | - | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | 2 | Sindh | - | 2 | - | 1 | - | 1 | 4 | NWFP | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | 2 | Balochistan | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Islamabad | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | - | 2 | Tribal Areas | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 1 | AJ&K | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | Total | 1 | 4 | - | 2 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 
Follow up to incidents in September
Chief Justice of Pakistan , Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, declared
The News crime correspondent Shakeel Anjum innocent after a top-level
police inquiry found him not guilty of triple murder on October 16 2006 . In Lahore three journalists—Wadood Mushtaq (ARY), cameraman
Nazir Awan (ARY) and Zahid Malik (AVT Khyber) were tortured by
Police DSP Mukhtar Shah. Later on the victims withdrew the complaint
after accepting an apology from the accused in Lahore Press Club. Saeed Sarbazi of Business Recorder who was arrested by intelligence agencies
was released after a week and he confirmed his detention by intelligence
agencies without any warrant or case registered against him. Rafiq Aziz, editor of a local daily ‘Chamag' from Turbat (Balochistan),
Abdul Sattar Khan from Chiniot (Punjab) were arrested by Police in
September. The two journalists were granted bail by a local court. Maqbool Hussain Siyal, bureau chief of Online News Agency, was shot
dead on September 14 in DI Khan. Till November 1 st 2006 , Police failed
to find out any clue of the case. Muhammad Rehan, Secretary General,
DIK Union of Journalists told the Intermedia that police is giving it a
color of religious sectarianism because the late journalist Maqbool Siyal
was belongs to Shia religion. Rehan rejected the police claim and said the
murder of Maqbool Siyal was an incident of terrorism. Rehan claimed that
the government announced compensation of 0.2 million for the grieved
family of Maqbool Hussain has not been materialized. ENDS | 
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