Shoot the messenger: Pakistan authorities disrupt newspaper distribution after report on Sharif's 26/11 comments

The action led by Pakistan's military began after the newspaper published the interview of Nawaz Sharif. 

Pakistan’s oldest newspaper, Dawn, is facing the heat after publishing an interview of ousted PM Nawaz Sharif in which he all but accepted that Pakistani ‘non-state actors’ were involved in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an international body keeping track of the state of independent journalism, claimed that distribution of Dawn was being disrupted in much of the country since the publication of the interview.

The interview which appeared on May 12 has reportedly displeased Pakistan military. RSF says that the blocking began on May 15. The distribution of the English daily is “disrupted in most of Baluchistan province, in many cities in Sindh province and in all military cantonments,” it said.

Apparently, the Press Council of Pakistan has also notified Dawn’s editor that the newspaper breached the ethical code of practice by publishing content that "may bring into contempt Pakistan or its people or tends to undermine its sovereignty or integrity as an independent country".

RSF, in a statement, said, “The unwarranted blocking of the distribution of one of the main independent newspapers has yet again shown that the military is determined to maintain their grip on access to news and information in Pakistan.”

“It is clear that the military high command does not want to allow a democratic debate in the months preceding a general election. We call on the authorities to stop interfering in the dissemination of independent media and to restore distribution of Dawn throughout Pakistan.”

Nawaz Sharif, in the interview, had questioned Pakistan’s inability to complete the trial against 26/11 attack mastermind. “Militant organisations are active. Call them non-state actors, should we allow them to cross the border and kill 150 people in Mumbai? Explain it to me. Why can’t we complete the trial?” he had said.

The comment was lapped up by Indian media as an acceptance of Pakistani role in the terrorist attack. In Pakistan, his comment was criticised by all quarters. PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi accused the Indian media of giving the issue “a different hue”.

Dawn was founded by Muhammad Ali Jinnah in 1941 in New Delhi. Though it started as the mouthpiece of Muslim League, after the division of British India, it became the leading voice in English Language journalism in Pakistan.