NEWS FILE ONE

Frontier Post offices sealed for blasphemous letter
The Nation - January 30, 2001

From Shamim Shahid
PESHAWAR - Taking a serious notice of a blasphemous letter published by the Peshawar-based English daily The Frontier Post on its opinion page on Monday, the government sealed the offices and the printing press of the daily under Section 295 C of the Cr.P.C and also arrested a number of its senior staffers.
Efforts are also under way for the arrest of Managing Editor Mehmood Afridi who was dealing with the editorial pages.
The Frontier Post on its opinion page on Monday published a letter “Why Muslims hate Jews?” addressed to the Editor by one Ben D Zac through e-mail. The letter contained highly negative, defamatory and derogatory remarks against Islam, Muslims and Holy Prophet (PBUH). According to official sources soon after reading the letter, the higher civil and military authorities in Islamabad and Peshawar went into meetings early in the morning. However, after receiving complaints through telephone, the local authorities decided to seal the daily and arrest its staffers for necessary investigation.
The staffers of the daily informed The Nation that the first raid was conducted by police at 3.00 pm. which was followed by raids of several other law-enforcing agencies personnel. Later in the evening, the offices and the printing press of the daily were sealed by a local magistrate accompanied by heavy contingents of police.
The sealing of the offices and the printing press of The Frontier Post affected the working of Maidan - a sister publication of the daily - as the offices of both the dailies exist in the same building. However, the newsroom of daily Maidan was working as usual.
Soon after the arrest of a number of staffers, the remaining employees returned to their homes. Those who have been taken into custody are senior Feature Editor and columnist Qazi Sarwar, Chief Reporter Imtiaz Hussain, News Editor Aftab Ahmad, Senior Sub Editor Munawar Hussain, in charge Computer Section Wajehullah and an unknown guest. Mehmood Afridi, Acting Chief Editor of the newspaper, was reportedly in Islamabad at the time of sealing of the offices and the printing press of the daily.
It may be mentioned here that in the afternoon when the local people came to know about publication of the letter, they thronged various stalls to get a copy of the daily.
Meanwhile, expressing severe resentment at the publication of the blasphemous letter, the activists of Islami Jamiat Tulba staged a demonstration on the premises of Peshawar University in the afternoon. Besides setting ablaze copies of the newspaper the protesters also chanted slogans against its Editor and management and blocked the roads. However, they dispersed peacefully after the assurance of civil and police authorities of a deterrent action.
Similarly, Jamaat-e-Islami Provincial Amir Prof. Mohammad Ibrahim Khan has also expressed grave concern about the sadful incident. He urged the newspaper management to demand an unconditional apology for the act. Sikander Hayat Khan Sherpao, central leader of Pakistan People’s Party, has also regretted the incident which has hurt the sentiments of the Muslims.
Press note:
Today i.e 29th January 2001, a letter under the title “Why Muslims hate Jews?” by Ben DZac was printed on Page 7 in section ‘Your Views’ in an English Daily “The Frontier Post” Peshawar. The contents of the letter were highly secreligious and derogatory to the Islamic faith and the Quran. It appears that the letter has been authored by a Jew. The highly objectionable and derogatory material published by the newspaper has grossly hurt the feelings of the Muslim community and have caused immense resentment among them.
Since the irresponsible conduct of the newspaper attracts the provisions of Section 295/ a, b, c, PPC and other relevant sections of law, therefore, a case has been registered against the management of The Frontier Post and the responsible functionaries have been arrested. Besides, the premises of the newspaper including the press have been sealed.
Press Statement by The Frontier Post:
The administration and the members of The Frontier Post profoundly regret the publication in its issue of 29 January 2001 of highly blasphemous material masquerading as a letter to the editor, and identifies with the injured feelings of the nation over the issue.
While we offer an unqualified apology for the occurrence, gross beyond measure and precedent, we assert that we are the aggrieved and wronged party in the incident. It has injured out feelings equally with every Muslim and more, because we have been linked with it.
All we can say at this point is that the matter is the outcome of a conspiracy. The conspiracy, we aver, was not against The Frontier Post alone, but also against the people and the government of Pakistan, and the whole Muslim Ummah.
We bluntly claim that the conspiracy sought to close down The Frontier Post, rendering the employees jobless, and to destabilise Pakistan.
We are looking into the matter on organisational level, and persons apparently involved in the dastardly act have been suspended pending enquiry. We have also lodged a complaint with the police, nominating the persons we suspect.
Additionally, we have called on the authorities to conduct a judicial probe into the affair to bring out the truth.
Meanwhile, we appeal to the nation to stand by us in this hour of adversity, and sympathise with us. The incident is a blemish on the proud legacy of The Frontier Post of fearlessly standing by the nation through thick and thin and championing every cause espoused by its people.
We seek to clear our escutcheon of the blot, and to continue to serve the nation as before.
Our readers’ support has been our shield in hard times. These are the hardest times we have seen. We appeal to you to stand by us.

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RSF demands release of Pakistani journalists
ABC World News (Radio Australia) January 30, 2001

An international media group has urged Pakistani authorities to release journalists jailed this week over a blasphemous letter which sparked riots by religious students.
The Paris-based Reporters Sans Frontieres, or Reporters Without Borders, has urged the governor of North West Frontier Province to release five journalists arrested in the provincial capital Peshawar.
RSF general secretary, Robert Menard, says the arrests represent an attempt to limit press freedom by depriving the Pakistani people of one of the most independent English-language dailies in the country.
Police on Monday closed the office of the Peshawar-based Frontier Post and detained five senior journalists under tough blasphemy laws after the paper published a letter, signed "BenDZac," titled "Why Muslims Hate Jews."
Angry students set fire to the paper's printing press in Peshawar on Tuesday and demanded the death penalty for its owners

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Angry protesters attack FP office
The Associated Press - January 30, 2001

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (January 30, 2001 7:26 a.m. EST http://www.nandotimes.com) - Hundreds of angry protesters on Tuesday destroyed the printing equipment of an English-language daily in the northern border city of Peshawar, accusing the newspaper of publishing a blasphemous letter.
No one was injured in the attack.
Shouting slogans against The Frontier Post, protesters marched through the congested streets of Peshawar, demanding the death penalty for the paper's owner and journalists.
The charges stem from a letter to the editor sent by e-mail that accuses Islam's Prophet Muhammad of lewd behavior and victimizing Jews. The author of the letter is not known.
"Down with Frontier Post!" demonstrators shouted as they threw stones at the building before setting it to fire. "Hang all those who insulted the Prophet!"
Policemen in riot gear watched as fire and smoke billowed from the building, where all the machinery and rolls of paper were completely gutted, witnesses said. But police blocked a larger procession of students marching toward the newspaper's editorial office in a nearby building.
On Monday, police closed The Frontier Post's office and sealed its printing press for publishing the "highly derogatory remarks" against the Prophet and the Muslim holy book, the Quran. Four journalists and a computer operator at the newspaper were arrested.
The police also registered a blasphemy case against its management. In Islamic Pakistan, the maximum punishment for blasphemous remarks against Islam, the Quran and the prophet is the death penalty.
Human rights groups say the controversial blasphemy law is used to target and victimize Pakistan's religious minorities. Hundreds of people, mostly from religious minorities, are in jail on blasphemy charges.
The management of The Frontier Post took out an advertisement in the English-language daily The News to apologize for the letter. "It has injured our feelings equally with every Muslim," the management said in the advertisement.
The advertisement said a complaint had been filed with police against employees suspected of publishing the letter. It also said the publication of the letter was a conspiracy to close down the newspaper and render its employees jobless.

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"Frontier Post premises placed under security"
Business Recorder - January 30, 2001

PESHAWAR : The premises of the Frontier Post have been placed under security cover to avoid any untoward incident, NWFP Home Secretary Syed Mazhar Ali Shah said on Monday.
He told APP that some people of the Frontier Post newspaper were arrested "as a consequence of an FIR registered with the local administration on Monday, because of the publication of a highly blasphemous article."
He said, the people were agitating the matter, as their feelings were hurt.
Meanwhile, an official spokesman said the premises of the daily have been placed under security on the request of the proprietor and management of the newspaper.
"The management was threatened of dire consequences by the people agitating against publication of objectionable material," the spokesman said.
A press note issued by the Peshawar district magistrate said: "Today i.e. January 29, 2001, a letter under the title "Why Muslims hate Jews" by Ben DZac was printed on page 7 in the section 'Your views' in an English Daily 'The Frontier Post ' Peshawar. The contents of the letter were highly sacrilegious and derogatory to the Islamic faith and Quran. It appears that a Jew has authored the letter. The highly objectionable and derogatory material published by the newspaper has grossly hurt the feelings of the Muslim community and have caused immense resentment among them."
"Since the irresponsible conduct of the newspaper attracts the provisions of section 295/a, b, c PPC and other relevant sections of the law, therefore, a case has been registered against the management of the Frontier Post and the responsible functionaries have been arrested," the press note added.-APP

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High court judge to probe into sacrilegious letter's publication
APP - February 01, 2001

.ISLAMABAD : The government has decided to appoint a judicial commission, headed by a High Court Judge, to probe into the publication of a sacrilegious and blasphemous letter in the Frontier Post, said Interior Minister Lieutenant-General Moinuddin Haider (Retd).
The minister while condemning the publication of the sacrilegious letter said, the judicial commission would identify those responsible for the incident so that they could be expeditiously punished according to law.
In a statement issued here on Wednesday, he called upon the Ulema and religious scholars to ask the public to remain peaceful as the government was fully alive to the situation and would not let the culprits go unpunished.
He said by reacting in an agitative manner, they would, in fact be playing into the hands of those anti-State elements who would like to create discord and unrest in the country.
Moin said the government cannot and will not allow anybody to play with the religious beliefs and sentiments of the people of this country and those responsible for the act of blasphemy shall be dealt sternly as per the applicable laws.
At the same time, the government shall not allow the vested interests to exploit the situation to create unrest in the country, he said.
The minister said, while the government protects, promotes and preserves the freedom of the Press, it is also the responsibility of the national Press to remain vigilant to curb the efforts of anti-national elements who try to create such situations which could ignite the religious sentiments. In this regard, he welcomed the statements of CPNE and APNS who have strongly condemned publication of the blasphemous letter.
The government, he said, is against all forms of extremism and believes in promoting tolerance and harmony in the society. The minister called upon the people to remain peaceful to foil the designs of those who intended to create disharmony and disturbance by publishing such a sacrilegious letter.

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Govt. confiscates FP's copies
Business Recorder - February 01,2001

The government of NWFP has forfeited all copies of Frontier Post of January 29, 2001, along with the blasphemous letter and its translation in any language that caused injury to the feelings of Muslims with immediate effect.
Following is the text of the notification issued by the provincial government.
Whereas the Governor NWFP is satisfied that a letter by a Jew, Ben DZac received by the English Daily Frontier Post Peshawar via E-Mail and published by the said Daily in its issue dated January 29, 2001, contains highly derogatory, sacrilegious and blasphemous material against the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), injuring the religious feelings and sentiments of Muslims.
And whereas, the above mentioned issue of Daily Frontier Post dated January 29, 2001, and the above referred letter are liable to forfeiture under section 99-A of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898.
Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 99A of the Code, of Criminal Procedure, 1898, the Governor NWFP is pleased to declare all copies of the above issue of the English Daily Frontier Post and all copies of the above letter along with their translation in any language and in any manner, shall stand forfeited to government with immediate effect".

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Publication of sacrilegious letter: APNS to probe Frontier Post issue
Business Recorder - February 02, 2001

KARACHI : The All Pakistan Newspapers Society, (APNS) Executive Committee has formed a fact-finding commission to probe the issue of publication of a blasphemous letter in Daily Frontier Post, Peshawar, says a press release.
According to the press release, APNS Secretary-General Arshad A. Zuberi has stated that the executive committee at its emergency meeting held under the chairmanship of APNS President Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman has heard the explanation of Jaleel Afridi of Daily Frontier Post and found that the administration of the publication appears to be responsible for the heinous act of printing the highly derogatory and sacrilegious letter as the person in-charge of the opinion page failed to check the contents of the letter copied from the Internet.
The APNS executive committee was informed by the representative of the Daily Frontier Post that it has not only sought unqualified pardon from the Almighty Allah and the Muslim Ummah through its written appeals, explanation and advertisement wherein it has explained its position that it was not involved in the incident as the letter was published by a journalist on his own without the approval of the editorial staff.
The Frontier Post representative has termed it a conspiracy hatched against it on its policy on Afghanistan.
The APNS committee decided that its delegation would visit Peshawar to meet the Ulema and the NWFP governor to request an amicable resolution of the issue. Its members appealed to the Ulema and religious sections and parties to accept the apology rendered by the Daily Frontier Post and call off the agitation against the newspaper so that it could continue its publication and disseminate its news and propagate its views.
The APNS executive committee noted that burning and damaging the private property of unrelated citizens was against the teachings of Islam which should be avoided and hoped that the Ulema would play their due role in bringing about normalcy in this regard.
It also urged the provincial administration to release the persons arrested by it from the office of Daily Frontier Post including a guest and would arrest/prosecute the culprits mentioned in the complaint lodged by the newspaper.
It also advised all member publications to refrain from publishing any part, sentences or text of the sacrilegious letter in quotes or translation in other languages as it would amount to blasphemy.-PR

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RSF denounces the "Talibanisation" of the NWFP
RSF - February 3, 2001

In a letter addressed today to the Federal Minister of the Interior, General Moin-ud-Din Haider, Reporters Sans Frontières (Reporters Without Borders - RSF) expressed its deep concern regarding the situation of press freedom in the town of Peshawar. For the past three days, Islamist demonstrators have taken over the streets and imposed their law in Peshawar, attacking mainly the press. Enjoying full impunity, rioters burnt the printing presses of the Frontier Post, harassed journalists and assaulted press photographers. After sealing the offices of the Frontier Post and arresting five members of the editorial board, the authorities decided to block the Web site of the daily. The press freedom organisation asked the Minister to "ensure the safety of journalists working in the province and guarantee the right to inform and to be informed." RSF asked the minister to inform the competent authorities that the Frontier Post Web site is no longer censored and to ensure that the staff members of the daily are released during the investigation led by the government. "The Pakistani government must respect the law and have it respected in the whole territory. The sealing of the newspaper and the arrest of the editorial board are disproportionate sanctions", noted Robert Ménard, general secretary of RSF.

In a report entitled "The Taliban and the media" published in September 2000, Reporters Sans Frontières expressed its concern regarding the risks of "talibanisation" of the North West Frontier Province. "In June 2000 religious movements in the country launched a campaign against cable television operators, which were authorised by the federal government at the beginning of the year. To stir up their supporters against "vulgar and obscene" TV programmes, the religious leaders issued a fatwa calling on all Moslems to "rise up against the Devil" represented by cable operators. Reporters Sans Frontières also wrote:
"The Pakistani religious movements have the power to impose some of their points of view on the local authorities, alternating political pressure, threats, demonstrations and acts of sabotage. The existence of a varied press, a basic element in Pakistan's liberal Islam, has never been publicly questioned by the religious leaders. But there are fears that their pleas for stricter enforcement of Sharia law may result in censorship."

According to the information collected by RSF, on 31 January 2001 young Islamists assaulted press photographers in the streets of Peshawar. While they were covering the demonstrations of fundamentalist groups organised by Jammat-e-Islami (Islamist party), Haider Shah from The News International daily and Shahzad from the Urdu daily Al-Akhbar, were beaten with batons. The rioters were ransacking a popular cinema in the centre of the town after burning down the printing press of the Frontier Post the day before and vandalising several buildings, among them the Press Club. Some journalists, especially from Frontier Post, are living underground fearing they may be recognised by Islamists who demonstrate shouting "Hang the culprits".

An official of the provincial government confirmed to Reporters Sans Frontières that the Frontier Post web site (frontierpost.com.pk) has been blocked by the authorities. The online version of the daily has not been available since 31 January. The same day, Kifayatullah, editor-in-chief of Maidan, an Urdu daily published by the Frontier Post group, and five of his staff members were arrested for a few hours by the police.

On 1 February, police raided the Peshawar offices of the Urdu newspaper Jasarat, linked to Jamaat-e-Islami. The daily had just published extracts of the blasphemous letter. The authorities accused the newspaper of trying to fuel demonstrations against the Frontier Post.

Finally, on 1 February religious leaders from Peshawar gave a one month deadline to the authorities to bring to court the culprits of the Frontier Post's "blasphemy".