November 16, 2007	Friday	Ziqa’ad 05, 1428

LAHORE, Nov 15: The country chapters of South Asian Free Media Association and different media organisations in the region expressed solidarity with the journalists in Pakistan against the curbs on media freedom imposed after the proclamation of emergency.

They handed over or will hand over letters of protest to the Pakistani high commissions in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, according to a press release. “We share Pakistani media’s concerns over the present situation and fully support their demand for the immediate withdrawal of the laws that have severely hampered the normal functioning of the media and forced private television news channels to go off the air,” said a letter by SAFMA India chapter.

The reports of the arrest of journalists in Pakistan — among them SAFMA Secretary-General Mr Imtiaz Alam — of the snatching of equipment, of threats hurled at them and of hardships suffered by them had caused us great anguish, it said.