Shamsul Islam Naz

PFUJ Secretariat:

PFUJ wants action against media tycoon for failure to protect mediamen

ISLAMABAD,: Expressing grave concern over killing of two media persons in a short span of 24 hours, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has urged the government to come to the rescue of journalists as situation is getting worse in Balochistan and Pakhtoonkhwa, and it is getting more difficult for media persons to perform their duties without fear.
Journalists and media persons lives are at stake, and time has come that all stake holders and the government take measures for safety and protection of media persons. Referring to Saturday’s incident at Kohat in Khyber Pukhtonkhaw (formerly NWFP), the PFUJ said that Azmit Ali, a Correspondent of Samaa for Orakzai Agency was among those killed in the incident, and according to initial reports, blasts took place near the IDP camp Kacha Paka. The first was a suicide blast which occurred at a place where food was being distributed among the people and hence, a large number of people were present there.
The second blast, according to reports, occurred due to planted bomb. Twenty one bodies have been identified. The injured were taken to different hospitals. This camp was for the Orakzai Agency IDPs who were camping here owing to operation launched by Pakistani Army in the locality.
Azamat Ali Bangash, son of Ali Sarwar Bangash lost life while preparing package of the displaced persons. Belonging to Ibrahim Zahi, Hongo District, Azmat had joined the profession in 1998, and served in various newspapers. He also served in Express TV, Aaj TV and was presentely working with APP, PTV and Samaa TV. He was 54 and leaves behind a son – Ali Hybder (6), two daughters Aliana (3),
Alyia ( l ) and a widow.
He was a hardworking and professional journalist who was reporting security forces operation against militants in Hangu district and Orakzai agency of FATA. He was on the hit-list of Taliban. He contributed invaluable news stories. He had stunned the whole media when he broke the news about the death of most wanted Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud, the man responsible for killing hundreds of innocent civilians and security forces personnel through his brutal acts of terrorism. After receiving death threats, he had left Hangu district and settled in Peshawar and Islamabad and continued reporting from there.
He exposed atrocities of militants through his reporting,
including airing video footages of militants slaughtering an FC constable in Orakzai and new Taliban Chief Mulla Toofan flogging people.
Expressing concern and sorrow over this incident, the PFUJ pointed out that the killings and injuries to media persons warrant government attention and it had become imperative that while they are perform assignments in such a terrible and odd environment, they should be provided training and protection. Although such incidents have become order of the day, the media owners are so callous and indifferent that they even do not move on such tragic incidents.
The PFUJ further pointed out that in terms of number of journalists killing in Pakistan in 2009, the situation was not different from Iraq. Journalists in the KhyberPukhtonkhaw (formerly NWFP) northwest regions boarding Afghanistan and in Balochistan went through a most challenging situation. The number of working media persons in Bajour fell from more than 20 to less than 10 over the past one year.
In a hostile and harsh environment, the media persons are forced to perform their duties by media owners, and in case of death they play role of a silent spactator which is a most condemnable act and PFUJ is of the view that such media owners be prosecuted on charge of “Qatl-i-amad” as envisaged in Section 300 PPC sub-clause 3 read with Section 302 PPC. “The media persons are neither provided health insurance, life insurance nor any other sort of protective measures, like security jackets are provided whereas petty cameras, digital satellite News Gathering (DSNG), wagons are insured by media owners.
These hards facts reflect the mindset of media owners and value of human life in the eyes of media owners,” the PFUJ regretted. The PFUJ further contended that despite loss of precious lives of the media persons, the media tycoons always seen active demanding concessions in various taxes, duties, acquiring precious land, soft loans, increase in advertisements rates, enhancement in prices of newspapers, reduction in pages, size of newspapers taking a numbers advantages from private, public sector and the government in power.
These are permanent features and agenda of the media industry and media tycoon were building their empires on the blood of working journalists, and for extortion of money they use all means without caring for any law, rules and regulations and they never abide by their legal obligations for providing economic rights and protection to their workers who are being forced to work under most hostile and torture ridden environments.
The media persons are also forced to work under low wages, on contract basis, without job security, job descriptions, and overwhelming persons are forced to work even without single penny in mofssals areas rather they were forced to pay handsome money for acquiring “correspondent-ship” from their channels and newspapers, which in return is
playing havoc in society, yet genuine media persons and professionals
are undermined before society. The PFUJ urged the Supreme court of Pakistan to take suo motu notice of open exploitation of workers by media owners who were playing havoc with societal norms, and are responsible for indirect killing of media persons by sending them to hostile environment” without proper security measures.
Shamsul Islam Naz
Secretary General
PAKISTAN FEDERAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS
12-Nazimuddin Road, F-6/1
Islamabad, Pakistan
Phone Office +92(0)51 2870220-1
Facsimile +92(0)51 2870223
Cellular +92(0)300 8665523

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