By IANS
Kathmandu : Nepal's media, which had been subjected to stringent control during King Gyanendra's regime but defied arrests and shutdowns to stay at the vanguard of the pro-democracy movement, has asked its SAARC neighbour Pakistan to lift curbs on the country's media.
"The suppression and control over the free press in Pakistan has shocked the Nepal press," six press organisations in Nepal said in a statement.
"The government of Pakistan should remove all control over its press, release arrested journalists and compensate the families of slain journalists," it said.
The Federation of Nepalese Journalists, that had played a key role during the April uprising in 2006 that forced the king to step down, along with five other media groups, asked Pakistani President Pervez Musharrraf to learn from the Nepal experience.
"No incumbent government benefits from anti-press activities," the group said.
The expression of support comes after Musharraf tried to enforce a new ordinance this week that would effectively muzzle the electronic media. However, he was forced to suspend the move until a review was made due to widespread protests and petitions in court.
When Pakistan's lawyers had earlier erupted in protest over the move to suspend the nation's chief justice Iftikar Chaudhary, Nepal's lawyers, who too had played a prominent role in restoring democracy and challenged arbitrary arrests, also condemned the move.