From the archive: Last chance?
Censorship in Pakistan has ranged from the ridiculous to the downright terrifying. But as the country entered a new phase in 1983, Salman Rushdie hoped for change
(more…)
Balochistan: Urdu-language TV stations suspended
Urdu-language television stations available via cable were suspended in Quetta and other parts of Balochistan province on Wednesday, after the Cable Operators Association received threats from nationalist groups. Babark Khan, president of the Balochistan Cable Operators Association, told the Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) that he received a threatening letter in writing from the Baloch Student Organisation on 31 January calling for the transmission of Urdu-language television stations to be halted and threatening consequences. The fraught region has faced separatist insurgency carried out by Baloch nationalists, who claim their grievances have been paid little attention by Pakistan media.
Pakistan: Journalist killed in Balochistan
Muneer Shakir, who worked for Online News Network and a Balochi television station called Sabzbaat, was killed on 14 August in Pakistan’s Balochistan province. The reason for his murder is still unclear. According to the Balochistan Union of Journalists (BUJ), Shakir is the sixth journalist to be killed in Pakistan in 2011. They also say that, despite reporting threats against journalists in provincial regions, no preventative action has been taken.