KARACHI, Feb 4: The All Pakistan Newspapers Society has condemned the attack by as-yet-unidentified political groups on distributors and copies of the daily Jang in several areas of Karachi, in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The Society has urged the Sindh government and the federal government to take meaningful action against those elements, political or otherwise, who are engaged in acts of violence and arson against newspaper establishments and their distribution networks in Karachi.

Hameed Haroon, the APNS president, has warned the Sindh government that under the guise of legitimate political expression, several political groups are taking undue advantage of their street power to target newspapers on the premise that adequate coverage was not being accorded to their activities. The intent of extremists in such parties is to intimidate editors, publishers, journalists and distributors of newspapers.

“If the Sindh government fails to take a firm stand against the proliferation of these disruptive acts of violence against newspaper establishments, it will be a matter of barely a few weeks before the Karachi press becomes hostage to the unethical aspirations of those political elements who believe in persuasion through the use of force. The last time this happened in Karachi a decade ago, it took years to dismantle the stranglehold of political party coercion against the independent press. Let not the Sindh government say that we have not cautioned them on the new situation,” Mr. Haroon added.

He also appealed to the federal government to institute requisite counter-measures against these proponents of media-targeted terrorism and “stamp out the poisonous adder aimed at the heart of press freedom”. He lamented the absence of a rapid mobilization force in the police in cities such as Karachi to deal with issues such as violence and terrorism against newspapers. “Every time a regrettable incident takes place, counter-measures are instituted in the process of post mortem. The time to act is now before it is too late. Otherwise repeated incidents aimed at silencing an independent press will continue to be met without the apprehending of a single suspect,” according to a press release of the APNS issued on Monday.