Human Rights Watch(HRW) has asked Pervez Musharraf to bring an end to use of coercion and intimidation in government dealings with print and electronic media.
 
A United States-based human rights watchdog has accused Pakistan of violating the international law by failing to allow freedom of expression and trying to suppress the media, which does not "fully support" the government and the President.

Stressing that Pakistan occupies 157th position among 166 countries on the Press Freedom Index (PFI), the Human Rights Watch (HRW) has asked President Pervez Musharraf to demonstrate his commitment to "genuine media freedom" by bringing an end to use of coercion, intimidation, kidnapping and torture in government dealings with print and electronic media.

In a letter to Musharraf, Executive Director of Asia Division of HRW Brad Adams sharply criticized the government for excluding journalists from disturbed areas of Pakistan-Occupied occupied Kashmir, Balochistan and tribal areas which, he said, violates the established principle that journalists be not excluded from areas experiencing violence or armed conflict unless their presences poses a clear risk to the safety of others.

"Your government's failure to allow freedom of expression as required by international law has become yet another symbol of the lack of rule of law in Pakistan, which is fundamental to the promotion and protection of human rights. We urged you to demonstrate a commitment to genuine media freedom by bringing to an end the use of coercion, intimidation, kidnapping and torture, or the threat of it, in government dealings with the print and electronic media in Pakistan," the letter added.

Contesting the government's claim that media in Pakistan enjoys "unprecedented" freedom, Adams tells Musharraf that this freedom remains limited to publications and television channels that "support your government and you personally".

"English language media, which is much more visible to diplomats and the rest of the world, retains more freedom to criticize the government than Urdu media. Similarly, broadcast media is given less leeway than print media because of the former's greater outreach," he said.

While the opinion pages of English language newspapers are "full of critical comment", Adam points out that journalists and editors are under substantial pressure not to publish "factual stories that expose government or, in particular, military misdeeds".

"Threatening calls from intelligence, military or unknown sources are a regular hazard for many journalists. These have increased since your March nine decision to undermine judicial independence by arbitrarily dismissing the chief justice of the Supreme Court.

"The Pakistani print and electronic media have faced immense pressure, coercion and even violent attacks by your government in order to tone down coverage of anti-government protests and the peaceful campaign to restore the chief justice," Adams said.

Detailing the incidents of violence and repression against Geo and Aaj television channels and pressure being put on Dawn, Adams says the years since the 1999 coup (which brought Musharraf to power), the Pakistani government has "systematically violated the fundamental rights of members of the press corps through threats, harassment, and arbitrary arrests and "disappearances"