Case Update Status

Mohammad Hanif and other relevant denied to give any statement.

Summary of Case

"On 6 Jan, 20, Award-winning satire “A Case of Exploding Mangoes “by journalist turned novelist Mohammed Hanif about Pakistan’s former Martial law administrator /president Gen Zia-ul-Haq has been confiscated in a raid on the publisher and the author is reported to receive a defamation notice from Gen Zia’s son. The book allegedly, pokes fun at the country’s former military dictator, and others in the armed forces.

The author Mohammed Hanif said on Twitter that some people claiming to be from the ISI barged into his Urdu publisher Maktaba Daniyal offices, confiscated all copies of Urdu translation of A Case of Exploding Mangoes. He said the manager had been threatened and the officials had demanded information on his whereabouts. Hanif also said security agents seized stock from his Karachi publishers and bookshops in Islamabad and Lahore as well.

The book has been recently published in Urdu in Pakistan, despite having been launched to acclaim in English in 2008, when it was long-listed for the Man Booker prize. The book won the Commonwealth first book prize in 2009.

The book caricatures the final days of Gen Zia-ul-Haq and the conspiracy theories behind the plane crash that killed him in 1988, including the rumor, a bomb was smuggled aboard in a box of mangoes. The information wing of Pakistan’s military said the military had not taken action against the book and an official at the ISI told Associated Press the comments were a “cheap attempt to gain popularity by hurling false accusations on a national institution”.

The incident was immediately condemned as the latest example in a crackdown on freedom of writing/expression in Pakistan. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan called on the authorities to “revoke this action immediately”.

On Apr 23,2020 Arshad Ansari, President of Lahore Press Club told PPF that Muhammad Hanif is not a member of Lahore Press Club and press club only work for the journalist who are the members of the club so we are not owning this case.

President Karachi Press Club Imtiaz Faran told PPF that Muhammad Hanif is not a member of Karachi Press Club and press club only work for the journalist who are the members of the club so we are not owning this case.

Muhammad Hanif on 6 Jan tweeted that Hanif also said he had received ""a defamation notice from General Zia's son"" Ejaz ul-Haq last week demanding 1 billion Pakistani rupees (about $6.4 million) ""for maligning General Zia's good name.""

""Our lawyers are preparing a reply,"" Hanif said. ""Is ISI acting on Ejazul Haq's behalf?"""

Category of Incident

Censorship

ICCS Status

ICCS Divisions: 0803-Acts related to freedom of expression or control of expression

ICCS Group: 08039-Other acts related to freedom of expression or control of expression

ICCS Class: N/A

ICCS Crime: Acts related to freedom of expression or control of expression

Reported By

BBC news

Date of incident

6

Month

January

Year

2020

Name of affected person

Mohd Hanif

Other affected persons

No other person affected

Name of affected organization

No organization affected as it is a ban on Book

Other affected organizations

No other organization affected

Action by

Intelligence Agency

City

Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad

Province

Sindh and Punjab, Capital Territory

Designation

Novelist

Professional category

Journalist

Age of victim

57 years

Marital Status

Compensation Details

Amount of compensation announced by government: No compensation announced

Date of compensation announcement by government: No compensation announced

Date of compensation paid by government: No compensation announced

Amount of compensation announced by others: No compensation announced

Date of compensation announced by others: No compensation announced

Date compensation paid by others: No compensation announced

FIR Details

Was FIR registered ?: No

Court Details

Was case investigated ?: N/A

Court where case was presented: N/A

Name of prosecuting lawyer: N/A

Date of first court hearing:

Date of last court hearing:

Status of court case: N/A

Journalist Union Status

PFUJ

N/A

APNS

CPNE

PBA

Media Source Status

Media reports:

Condemn Status

Colleague of victim

N/A

Employer organization

N/A

Press Club Status

Press club 1: N/A

Press club 2:

Press club 3: