Sipah-i-Sahaba attacked BBC office in Islamabad
27-8-1995
KARACHI, March 31: THE federal government has already ordered an inquiry into the
disgraceful attack on the BBC office in Islamabad over the weekend.
But in view of reports that Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), a militant
sectarian organisation, has already accepted the fact that the
attackers belonged to it, action more than inquiry is needed.
The attackers raided the BBC office and assaulted two correspondents.
Mercifully, the two were not seriously injured, and it is even more
fortunate that the small son of one of the correspondents, who was
present at that time in the office-cum-residence, came to no harm.
The attack followed threats from the SSP that it would take action
against the BBC for repeatedly showing a television film about it. It
has already been pertinently asked how armed men were able to carry
out such a brazen attack in a city that has been declared arms-free.
It is also strange that, while the chief of Sipah-i-Sahaba had no
compunction about saying the most provocative things for the BBC TV
documentary in question, his followers should have been so incensed
about the showing of the film that they thought nothing of organising
an armed attack on the BBC's local office and venting their fury
thereby terrorising the network's correspondents and indulging in
vandalism and arson - as if all this was an accepted form of protest.
As far as anyone knows, the SSP leader has not denied any of the
remarks attributed to him in the documentary.
The film was first screened some time ago. It has since been seen by
perhaps hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis who watch TV. Repetition
is one of the bane's of 24-hour broadcasting, and the BBC, like CNN,
also often repeats its programmes. But why this particular documentary
has been screened over and over again, only the BBC can tell us.
However, that provides no licence to anyone to resort to violence and
indulge in hooliganism. This is not the first time that journalists
and newspaper offices have been targeted by sectarian, ethnic and
religious groups and parties. It is another manifestation of the
extremism and intolerance that have overtaken us. Rather than soften
their own stands and eliminate the strands of bigoted thinking that
have twisted their politics, such organisations take out their venom
on those who report on their aberrations. Successive governments have
shied away from political action to confront those who sow hatred
among the people and practise intolerance, and this has only further
encouraged sectarian parties and organisations.
It is important that the government clearly identify those involved in
the attack on the BBC office and proceed legally against them. It is
the duty of the SSP to itself expose the miscreants in its ranks.