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Alert

Newspaper office attacked by armed men opposed to pro-dam advertisements

(PPF/IFEX) - On 23 December 2005, a group of armed men threw a petrol bomb into the offices of the Sukkur edition of the Sindhi-language daily newspaper "Khabroon," setting the reception area on fire. The attackers hurled threats at the newspaper staff and fired shots into the air.

In a letter, Mr. Imtnan Shahid, the editor of the Khabrain group of newspapers, of which "Khabroon" is one, identified the attackers as members of the "so called Sindhi nationalists." This group was angered by the newspaper's publication of a government-sponsored advertisement in support of the controversial Kalabagh Dam project, part of a government campaign to muster support for the controversial project, which has generated strong reactions from both opponents and supporters.

Shahid added that Sindhi nationalist parties continue to harass the staff and vendors of the newspaper. Copies of the newspaper have been seized and set on fire in a number of cities, including Mirpurkhas, Ghotki, Waro and Thal. There have also been reports that other newspapers carrying advertisements supporting the dam have been set on fire in various cities.

The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) condemned the attack and urged the government to provide security to "Khabroon" and its staff.

The police have registered a case against unknown assailants and the Sindhi government has deployed paramilitary rangers at the "Khabroon" office in Sukkur for the staff's security.