LAHORE, Sept 3: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has strongly condemned the detention of a Khuzdar journalist in flagrant violation of the due process and demanded his immediate release.

In a press release issued here on Wednesday, HRCP secretary-general Hina Jilani said the arrest of Mr Rasheed Azam and his detention since Aug 15, 2003, could only be condemned in the strongest possible terms.

She said that Mr Azam represented two daily newspapers in Khuzdar and was also a prominent activist of the Balochistan National Party (Mengal).

“He was picked up on the basis of a vague communication from the Quetta Crimes Branch which referred to a complaint by an undisclosed sensitive department alleging the distribution of an anti-army poster by him and that the action amounted to sedition against the army, which is an offence of a grave nature. The police promptly grabbed him without caring to ascertain the existence of the objectionable poster, its nature, the time and place of its distribution, and the journalist’s alleged role. The attack on Mr Azam’s liberty is apparently in violation of the constitutional guarantees available to him and his right to be treated in accordance with law.”

The statement said it seemed necessary to reaffirm that the liberty of a citizen was much too sacred to be trifled with by any authority. “Arbitrary actions by the police, or any other branch of administration, cannot go unchallenged merely on the ground that such actions are outside the law. The sensitive departments must themselves realize that their cavalier approach to citizens’ rights will gravely undermine their credibility and standing with the people.”

Demanding immediate release of the journalist, the HRCP official said the allegation against him raised questions related to freedom of expression and the right to dissent which could not be extinguished on subjective considerations. “Still, if any case can be made out against him, the due process of law must be followed and his right to meet his family and counsel fully respected,” she said.