27 June 2004	Sunday	08 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

PESHAWAR, June 26: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, expressing concern over the Wana operation, has demanded a judicial inquiry into the operation.

The demand was made at a seminar jointly organised by the HRCP, Tribal Union of Journalists and Peshawar Press Club here on Saturday.

The speakers expressed sorrow over the violation of human rights and excessive use of force in Wana in the garb of operation against the so-called terrorists.

They stressed the need for a free press in Federally Administered Tribal Areas and demanded a halt to the misuse of the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) to strangulate press freedom in the tribal areas.

The participants, through a unanimously passed resolution, demanded to facilitate journalists in getting information about the operation and the families of the tribal journalists should be exempted from arrest under section 40-FCR.

They further demanded of the political administration not to hamper the working of the journalist community in Fata and withdraw cases instituted against pressmen in the region by the political administration.

Another resolution called for the registration of the Tribal Union of Journalists, establishment of private radio stations and permission to publish weeklies, monthlies and dailies in Fata.

The government should provide interest-free loans to establish newspapers and magazines and the agencies should stop from seizing reporting material of the journalists in tribal belt.

The speakers demanded release of Malak Mohammad Anwar, a journalist affiliated to the TUJ, arrested by the Fata political administration.

Those who spoke on the occasion, included former HRCP chairman Afrasiab Khattak, TUJ president Nasir Mohmand and Peshawar Press Club president Mohammed Riaz.