Feb 04: Two-member ministerial committee constituted by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif a day after killing of three media assistants working with Express News channel in Karachi on January 17 met with representatives of media owners, working journalists and civil society with Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in the chair in Islamabad. Federal Information Minister Pervez Rasheed also attended the meeting discussing ways and means to improve security of media houses and working journalists.

Feb 06: Reporter Zaib Mansoor returned home in Dargai town in Malakand region of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province after what his colleagues said military intelligence personnel had taken him away on October 14, 2013. The journalist thanked his colleagues and Freedom Network [FN] for taking up his enforced disappearance.

Feb 14: Ijaz Mengal, brother of under-threat journalist Riaz Mengal, was shot dead on Karachi-Quetta highway by two motorcyclists. Baloch National Army claimed responsibility for the attack saying the deceased was “spying” for the government. Ijaz was working as part-time journalist besides a government school teacher.

Feb 15: An anti-terrorism court in Shikarpur district of Sindh province reserves judgment in  murder case of report Wali Khan Babar, who shot dead on January 13, 2011, while on his way home in Karachi. The verdict will be announced on March 1^st.

Feb 15: National media reported that British-Pakistani Omar Sheikh convicted on charge of killing Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl attempted to commit suicide in a prison in Hyderabad district of Sindh province.

Feb 17: Attack on media houses continue in Karachi with hand-grenade attack on Aaj News office left its guard and driver injured.

Feb 17: A hand-grenade failed to go off after it was thrown at on Waqt News channel’s office  in Karachi where the same day Aaj News office also came under similar attack.

Feb 17: Two unidentified masked men opened fire on Daily Times columnist Dr Saulat Nagi at his residence in Model Town, Gujranwala district of Punjab province on Monday night (17 February 2014). “I have no enmity with anyone and the attack may relate to my writings,” the columnist said after the attack.

“The court verdict is a move in right direction. We hope pending cases of other killed journalists, which run into dozens, will also get pursued in other parts of the country,” FN said on March 2 in a press freedom alert.

FN, Pakistan’s first media watchdog organization, said the historical verdict would lead to a turning point to fight back the unprecedented impunity of crimes against media in Pakistan as it is the first case involving a Pakistani journalist whose murder case was taken to logical conclusion.

Earlier, the prosecutors had successfully fought legal case of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, who was found dead in early 2002 after kidnapped from Karachi.

“The job is half done,” FN reminded the government. “The earlier arrest of the two absconders in the reporter’s murder is a litmus test for law-enforcing agencies,” the press freedom organization said.

FN, however, hailed the Sindh province government for pursuing the case of Wali Babar despite several attempts to impede the justice. “The provincial government, the investigators and the prosecutor’s roles are commendable. However, the journey has not yet finished and the good work needs to be continued,” the press freedom organization pressed.

Wali Khan Babar’s Murder Mystery

The whole case of Wali Babar is unprecedented in the manner in which one person after another linked with this case was assassinated fearing that the case might not end with the verdict.

The case gained importance when six people linked with the case, including a witness and a lawyer, were killed one after another. For security reason, the Sindh government moved the case to another district from Karachi.

But the killing of Babar and people linked with investigation led to the major legislation in the Sindh Assembly where a “Witness Protection Bill” was passed.

Wali Khan Babar was gunned down in Liaquatabad area of Karachi on January 13, 2011, while on his way home from Gen News channel office.

The Anti-Terrorism Court judge, Mushtaq Ahmed Leghari, announced the judgment on Saturday at the Shikarpur Central Jail, awarding the death sentence to Kamran alias Zeeshan and Faisal Mota in absentia, while Faisal Mehmood alias Nafsiyati, Naveed alias Polka, and Muhammad Ali Rizvi and Shah Rukh alias Mani life imprisonment.

Co-accused Shakeel was exonerated of charge due to lack of evidence against him, according to the verdict.

The family and the journalist community expressed satisfaction over the court verdict. Murtaza Babar, brother of Wali Babar, expressed satisfaction over the sentences awarded to the accused.

Pakistan Coalition on Media Safety also welcomed the conviction. “PCOMS which is coalition of leading media associations, civil society organizations, parliamentarians and international press freedom organizations, express the hope  that the conviction of Wali Babar would mark a turning point in the climate of near absolute impunity that exists for those who murder and attack journalists and media organizations,” it said in a press statement.

“The Saturday’s verdict will strengthen press freedom and discourage perpetrators of the crimes against media and journalists,” the Khyber Union of Journalists said in its press statement.

Photo credit: Google Images

“With escalation in violence triggered by attacks on government forces by the militants and the response of the security forces, there is every possibility that the media may come under another wave of attacks in an attempt to influence the narrative of the crisis,” a statement issued on Friday by FN, Pakistan’s first watchdog on media security and freedom of expression, said in a statement issued here.

The statement added that in the given situation the media needs to take extra precautionary measures and reinforce security of journalists and media houses for their protection.

Militant organization Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesman Shahidullah Shahid expressed his displeasure at Pakistani media’s coverage of his organization. “The national media is not reporting the TTP version in true spirit,” he told a group of Pakistani journalists during a press talk at an undisclosed location in North Waziristan on February 21, 2014. The phrase is used to warn the media of consequences if it does not change attitude.

FN had said in its press freedom alert in response to the attacks and attempted bombing against three media houses in Karachi on February 17, 2014: “The media is now a direct target and all these attempts aim to muzzle the vibrant press the country has for the first time. Working journalists, media assistants and media houses are now direct target across the country in general and Sindh province in particular. However, Karachi has gained significance where the threat is looming larger than ever before.”

The press freedom watchdog organziation urged all the key stakeholders – media owners, working journalists, the government and the civil society – to step up efforts aimed at devising a strategy to lower the threat level against media in a combined effort to defend freedom of expression, promote safety of journalists and media establishments and to combat impunity against the media and its practitioners.

FN also urged production and adoption of safety and ethical protocols by representative associations of media and its practitioners and special measures such as legislation on media safety and appointment of a special prosecutor by the government through a legal framework to combat impunity against media, which has reached alarming level as no prosecution has taken yet in any murder case involving Pakistani journalist since 2003.

“The committee of information and interior ministers that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has set up to strategize responses to combat attacks on media had its inaugural meeting on February 4, 2014 attended by representatives of media owners, working journalists and civil society (represented by Freedom Network) to thrash out a strategy against the attacks. This move is welcome. However, prompt follow-ups, as the interior minister suggested, should happen faster than routine process,” FN added, pressing all the stakeholders to show urgency in mobilizing all resources to keep the flag of press freedom flying high.

Photo credit: Google Images

“It is a matter of relief no harm has come to the columnist, but it is a serious matter of concern that tolerance for other opinion or respect to freedom of expression is losing ground in Pakistan,” Freedom Network [FN], Pakistan’s first media watchdog organization monitoring freedom of press and freedom of expression, said on Friday (21 February 2014)

Seven bullets were fired, which fortunately missed the target, Daily Times reported on Thursday (20 February 2014).

““I don’t know who they are and I have no enmity with anyone. My columns, books and other work might have created problems for some persons, who could be behind this incident,” the writer told Daily Times.

FN demanded full investigation into the attempted assassination of the columnist to prosecute the perpetrators of the crime. The issue of impunity of crimes against media and working journalists has earned Pakistan a bad name.

Nagi is a renowned journalist and a prominent columnist, writer and medical practitioner having no enmity or dispute with anyone, the newspaper said. Model Town police have registered a case against two unidentified persons on the complaint of Dr Nagi, with no arrest made so far.

Dr Saulat Nagi is author of seven books.

He was present at his Model Town residence along with his two friends when two unidentified armed men entered his house at around 8:30pm, put a gun on Dr Nagi’s head and threatened him over some issue. Later, the men managed to escape from the scene after fired seven shots inside and outside the house.

The incident sparked panic among the family members and locals of the area, who immediately gathered at the crime scene after knowing about the incident. They also informed the police about the incident and inquired about the firing incident.

Dr Saulat Nagi told Daily Times said that he lives in Australia and usually visits Pakistan after four or five months.

The columnist said that he was now in Pakistan to look after his ailing mother.

He said that the incident worried his family as well, who now wanted him to return to Australia, “but I can’t do that due to my mother’s serious illness”.

I am utterly disappointed and hurt about the feeble and inadequate reaction from the community leaders to these major new threats, whether they are the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), All Pakistan Newspaper Society (APNS), Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), Pakistan Broadcasters Association (RBA) and Radio Broadcasters Association (RBA).

We all remained silent when the first incident of firing took place outside the office of Express TV. I asked the CPNE, PBA and PFUJ leaders to call a joint meeting and not to take these threats and accompanying warnings lightly. My appeal was ignored and except for issuing perfunctory statements, a token protest of journalists outside the Karachi Press Club, nothing happened.

Within weeks of that first attack, on January 17, 2014, a more organized attack took place against Express TV and three of their media workers were killed when its DSNG van was targeted in Karachi. Once again I pleaded the leaders of these representative organizations of media workers, media owners and media editors to revive the Joint Action Committee (JAC), which for the first time was constituted in 1989, after the killing of three journalists in a day in Sindh. But once again the PFUJ except for token walkouts from legislative assemblies and demonstrations outside the press clubs did not take the issue seriously.

Instead, it appears, advertisement revenue collection by the media houses was considered more important than making any serious attempt to save the lives of their staff. It is worth pondering: if the APNS and PBA could launch a joint campaign with a series of collaborative advertisements for their revenue recoveries from the government – published in all major dailies – why cannot they become united on the most serious issue of violence against media? Why can’t all factions of PFUJ and All Pakistan Newspaper Employees Council (APNEC) unite for the sake of journalist’s community to save the lives of working journalists? Could it be that we are all waiting for more lethal attacks before being stirred into meaningful action?

The grenade and IED attacks on Aaj TV and Waqt TV offices on February 17, 2014 and the recovery of one kilogram of explosive materials near the office of ARY TV on February 18, 2014, in Karachi should not be taken lightly, but it is astounding that I don’t see the required ‘will’ by the media houses as well as journalists to tackle the issue and come up with a proper strategy to counter the escalating attacks on media in Pakistan.

These attacks are unprecedented in that as many as five television channels have already come under attack in the first eight weeks of 2014, besides the killing of two journalists, three media workers and the brother of one journalist (which appears to be a case of intimidating a journalist). At a minimum, this situation demands the following urgent steps:

1. A joint statement signed by all factions of PFUJ, APNEC, APNS, CPNE and PBA condemning the attacks and expressing solidarity.

1. A joint editorial, both in English and Urdu, which should be published in all newspapers, preferably on the front page. If they could write a joint editorial in the 1950s condemning the ban on one publication, why can’t they do for this right cause?

1. Revival of Joint Action Committee (JAC) comprising representative of all the bodies and factions, including those of PFUJ, APNEC, APNS, PBA and CPNE.

1. Launch of efforts to unite the factions of various bodies to promote unity of purpose and a focus on professionalism. Respected seniors such as editors and journalists should be involved. Veterans like I A Rehman, Hussain Naqi, Ziauddin Ahmad, Zahid Hussain, Afzal Khan, Saud Sahir, Zafar Abbas and Ahfazur Rehman can play a role.

1. APNS, CPNE, PFUJ and PBA, must adopt a joint Code of Ethics and a set of international standards of journalism. This should include training of journalists.

1. Institute a common set of SOPs outlining guidelines of responsible and professional journalism for journalists, editors, news directors and director current affairs.

1. Devise a strategy to invoke the legal process to combat impunity by working with the government to get the cases of all murdered journalists investigated.

What can the government can do? The appointment of the two-member committee on media by the Prime Minister comprising Federal Interior Minister and Federal Information Minister should be expanded to include representatives of other stakeholders to devise a collective strategy to combat impunity and to undertake an appropriate division of labor.

The purpose of the expanded committee should be to take immediate measures for the safety of journalist including, but not limited to, the following:

1. The government should set up an institution of the ombudsman for media or a media complaints commission.
2. Declare attacks on media and journalists as terrorist attacks and an attack on freedom of expression
3. Appoint a special prosecutor to exclusively deal with cases of violence against journalists and media and to undertake speedy investigation and justice

Please act now and don’t wait for a bigger loss!

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The author is a seasoned journalist and former secretary-general of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists.

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Photo credit: Google Images

It has been five years now since Musa Khankhel was first kidnapped and then killed on 18 February 2009 while on duty.

His killing after brief kidnapping came days after peace deal was reached between the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and banned outfit Tehreek Nifaz-e-Shariah Muhammadi (Movement for Enforcement of Shariah of Prophet Muhammad [PBUH]). He was the first casualty of what was perceived as post-peace period in Swat where the local Taliban militants held significant sway before the military was ordered to restore the state’s writ in May 2009 operation.

“No single attempt to investigate kidnapping-cum-murder of Musa Khankhel has ever been made to find out who kidnapped and killed the journalist,” enraged Essa Khankhel, Mingora-based journalist and younger brother of the deceased journalist, reacted when Freedom Network [FN] inquired about the state of outcome of any investigation.

His anger was understandable. Musa Khankhel was not alone while covering now jailed Maulana Sufi Muhammad’s tour of Matta, regarded as stronghold of Taliban leader Mullah Fazlullah who is also known as ‘Mullah Radio’ using the airwaves over Swat to influence local residents, to win locals’ support for the peace deal he reached with liberal Awami National Party and Pakistan People’s Party’s coalition government in Peshawar.

“No police official ever visited or invited me to record my statement or any of my family member,” Essa, who now works for Geo News channel and daily The News, vehemently said. “Ask the police why they made no attempt to carry out the investigation,” he responded when asked did the police make any effort to get to the bottom of journalist’s killing.

Musa Khankhel is not alone whose investigation made no start. Since 2002, no single murder case involving a journalist has ever been investigated except that killers of American journalist Daniel Pearl were brought to justice. But Musa Khankhel’s case is even different from many other targeted Pakistani journalists as he was whisked away from a crowd of people and hours later was found dead.

Impunity of crimes against media and journalists is Pakistan’s bigger problem today with the state’s unwillingness or impotence to prosecute the perpetrators of the crime actually encourages the elements targeting the media and working journalists to continue the target-killing of working journalists and media assistants and media houses.

“I have lost hope for any justice my late brother journalist may get. But one institution still holds a ray of hope and that is the Supreme Court. If it holds the inquiry as it has been doing in many other cases we may find the killers of Musa Khankhel,” the brother passionately appealed to Chief Justice Pakistan Jusice Tassaduq Hussain Jilani.

Every successive government makes lavish promises but delivers little. And it happened with the Khankhel family. The federal government at that day promised the family a residential plot in Islamabad to somehow compensate the loss. However, Essa Khankhel says until today no action was seen to honour the promise.

“He was killed because of threats I am facing till now,” Riaz Mengal, who is living outside Balochistan for the last two and a half years for security concerns, said told Freedom Network [FN] from a safer location outside Balochistan on Monday (February 17, 2014).

According to Riaz Mengal, unidentified motorcyclists fired around 10 shots at his brother who received around six bullets and died on the spot.

Ijaz Mengal, who works in Education Department of Government of Balochistan as clerk and as part-time journalist also, was shot dead on Quetta-Karachi highway on Friday (February 14, 2014, Riaz Mengal said.

FN extends condolence to the bereaved family and demands of the provincial government in Balochistan to order an track down the know perpetrators of the crime.

Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch announced in January this year setting up a judicial commission to look into murder cases of journalists. However, the commission was not yet notified and no single case has been taken up yet.

“Urgency may be shown to refer murder cases of all journalists killed by one group or another or the government agencies for prosecution,” FN demanded of the chief executive of Balochistan. “There is dire need to fight back impunity in Balochistan,” FN went on to add.

Riaz Mengal linked the murder of his brother to his refusal to quit journalism as he was kidnapped in 2007 and two years later he was warned that if he did not quit journalism his family might “pay the price.”

Separatist group ‘Baloch National Army’ claimed the responsibility for killing the journalist’s brother for reason that the deceased was allegedly “spying” for the government’s security agencies. Riaz Mengal denies the charge.

Due to threats to Riaz Mengal in Khuzdar district, the body was taken to Larkana district in neighbouring Sindh province for burial. “I was advised against going to Khuzdar and it was decided by family members to bury the body outside Khuzdar,” Riaz informed.

It is the second time that family member of a journalist in Khuzdar district was targeted. Khuzdar Press Club president Nadeem Gurjinari’s two young sons were killed on October 26, 2012.

Ijaz was working for Intekhab newspaper as correspondent since 2005, Riaz said.

Both government employees and journalists are viewed as “spies.” Mehmood Ahmed Afridi, working for Intekhab newspaper in Kalat district and gunned down on March 1, 2013, and ‘Balochistan Liberation Front’ claimed responsibility for his murder saying the journalist was “spying” for the government.

“The killing of my brother is continuation of anti-media campaign in Khuzdar district,” Riaz said.

Photo credit: Google Images

Freedom Network presents a special, exclusive series authored by seasoned journalist and analyst Haroon Rashid that takes a close look at how advancing technologies, transforming social habits and changing information access dynamics are impacting the media landscape in Pakistan and where the country’s media stands in terms of challenges and opportunities in 2014. The series of separate write-ups attempts to analyze the state of television media, radio media and print media in Pakistan in 2014.

The last of the three series reports is about the changing voice of radio media in Pakistan.

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The Changing Voice Of Radio Media In Pakistan

Haroon Rashid

Why is that in Pakistan we have nearly three dozen TV news channels but not one full-time news radio station? Is the people’s perceived appetite for news only in vision? Television mostly covers urban areas, so what about the information craving of rural areas? Why is the major diet of around 120 FM radio stations throughout the country mostly music? Does news not sell on radio in Pakistan? The simple answer after years of observation is that investors because of “low visibility” are not ready to invest in radio in big way to come up with Pakistan’s first countrywide professional FM news channel.

Some FM stations such as Awaz Network, Power 99 and Samaa FM do include news in their output but that is far from adequate. They can’t be called full-fledged news stations. The only news station is Radio Pakistan’s output leaves much to be desired in terms of both presentation and news selection. Until full editorial freedom is given to its news operations, Radio Pakistan will continue to sound boring and illogical in news prioritizing as it is today.

“We’re able to cash in on only 40 per cent of the total advertisement available for radio. Almost 60 per cent is not being availed,” says Mohammad Irfan, the advertisement manager at an FM station. “There are different reasons for this and one being lack of appropriate quality programming. We (different FM stations) are competing with each other whereas the wise thing should be to help promote each other.”

Investors and owners acquire licenses without proper homework, through hefty biddings and hence do not allocate enough funds for creative programming that can provide returns for their investment. “The radio, it seems, in Pakistan is entangled in this vicious circle. It needs to invest more to earn more,” adds Mr Irfan who has a 10-year advertising experience.

A wrong impression that clouds radio’s growth in Pakistan is the impression that listeners’ numbers are dwindling. In the absence of a thorough research, such impressions are hard to fight. But a brief visit to Rawalpindi’s Imperial Market, famous for electronic gadgets – from cheap Chinese mobiles to shavers and expensive television sets, reveals a different story. An electronics shop worker Mohammad Faiz has been selling radio sets for the last 20 years. He told me the number has come down but only marginally. “If I was selling 90 per cent of my stock in a year, now I sell 70 per cent. The reduction is not much,” he claims. “People from villages still come for quality sets,” he told me.

The 20 per cent fall becomes inconsequential if you take into account the surge in sale of mobile sets having FM station capability. A mobile seller told me 20 to 30 per cent of his clients do ask and make sure they buy a mobile set with FM ability. Some people listen to radio on the internet as well. Once broadband packages are within easy economic reach and smartphones are not limited to a select niche, radio broadcasts are expected to pick up further.

Whereas encouraging trends show television journalism is somewhat maturing in Pakistan, radio journalism is still in its infancy. The government not being able to fully tame the TV news beast is reluctant to unleash another giant called radio, hence, reluctance in giving away news FM licenses.

Also, there is not much information available on the factors and dynamics of radio listener-ship in the country. Who listens to what and why? When do they listen to programs the most? Although this data has recently become available, its applicability in terms of the size of Pakistani market and what potential it possesses for the growth of the medium is still not clear, with a lot of advertising and programming decisions being carried out on speculation and intuition.

Last year, BBC Pakistan did carry out a general survey to understand the listenership habits of the Karachi audience, which led to some surprising findings. It was discovered that most people listen to the radio during 10 to 11 pm, most probably as then they want to relax. Another belief that most listeners accessed radio in their cars was found to be a myth as it is mostly cellular phones that people use to listen to radio.

This research has paved way for more nationwide surveys on radio listenership to further determine the trends and behaviors exhibited by radio listeners across different age groups. Hopefully, programming in the future will be planned according to the results of such surveys, bringing radio into the limelight it deserves.

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The author is Editor BBC Pakistan.

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Photo credit: Khudai Noor Nasar

Journalists often endanger their own lives and lives of others when they become part of the story by taking sides. This gives an excuse to conflicting parties to call journalists biased and partial and as a result, often target them, sometimes violently.

While Mr Yusufzai himself is in a better position to explain why he decided to go to the other side of the news and become news himself, but by joining the committee he may not have a free voice to express his “journalistic opinion.” He will now be bound “morally” not to speak out of the domain of the Committee. This means that because he has not quit journalism but is also now on a government committee to talk to the Taliban, he is in a position of conflict of interest if he also reports the proceedings.

Mr Irfan Siddiqui, one of the other members of the government committee, is also a respected columnist, but unlike Mr Yusufzai, he has been associated with the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-N of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. He has once again accepted an offer from Sharif to join his government and now is an adviser to the prime minister on national issues. In the past also he had served in the presidency under former President Rafiq Tarar appointed by Sharif. He is also said to be one of the speech writers of the prime minister.

Being a reader of Mr Siddiqui’s columns in the leading Urdu daily Jang and being impressed with his linguist skills, one expected that he should write his past and present designation in his initials. At least, this is what the reader expects from any political leader or government servants, retired or serving, to do.

For instance, Mr Oriya Maqbool Jan is a Grade 20 officer and ethics demands that he should write his designation with his initials in his regular newspaper column to let readers know he is a government employee. He is among the rare officers of the government, who has not been stopped from coming on TV or writing or getting a no-objection certificate (NOC), otherwise required of all officers in government employ.

It is important to differentiate between full time journalists and regular columnists. The latter often includes people who are not full time journalists but include people who write columns as their part time activities. These include retired officers, both civil and military, air force, navy, police and intelligence agencies beside retired bureaucrats, etc.

It is also important to ponder how the “newspaper space” or “air time” on TV screens is being used for political gains by various actors and thus the issue of “conflict of interest” needs to be addressed. Unfortunately, the media in Pakistan does not have a forum to address these critical moral and ethical issues. While there are several codes of ethics produced by various media stakeholders, they are mostly confined to ‘moral questions’ rather than principles of ethical journalism and how to ensure compliance with them.

Pakistan has a history of respected journalists joining politics or government. Why this is a clash of interest? You become known in the government and political circles because of your journalistic skills and get recognition because of journalism. Therefore, when you get an offer and accept it, you actually compromise on your journalistic standing for political benefits. While joining politics or government is not unacceptable, one should at least announce and formally quit the profession. One should not use the reader’s or viewer’s space for political gains.

Mr Najam Sethi, another respected name in the journalist community with a large following, disappointed his colleagues when he once joined the caretaker government in 2013 as caretaker Punjab chief minister and again by becoming the acting chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board while at the same time continuing with his popular TV talk show.

Ms Sherry Rehman became a known entity when she became the editor of Herald magazine. A competent and courageous journalist, at times she took very bold decisions and confronted the police and the establishment during Nawaz Sharif’s first government in the early 1990s. But one day she decided to join the Pakistan People’s Party because Benazir Bhutto requested her to play a role in the party. She was praised for her journalistic stance but than by joining the party, she basically compromised on her journalistic work. She certainly did an excellent job as information minister and as Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States, but in the process we lost a good journalist.

Mr Mushahid Hussain was considered a brilliant editor when he edited The Muslim newspaper but then joined politics. The same could be said about number of other journalists like former editor of The News, Ms Maleeha Lodhi, former journalist Mr Hussain Haqqani (both served as Pakistan’s ambassadors to the US), former editor Daily News Mr Wajid Shamsul Hasan (former high commissioner to UK), former editor of Jang Lahore editor, late Mr Irshad Hussain Haqqani, correspondent for Arab News, Mr Salahuddin Haider and many others.

Pakistan is the only country in the Islamic world whose media is a super vibrant entity, vocal against its successive rulers, military or civilian, but its journalists in particular have a history of struggle working in an atmosphere of “fear” and at the same time be fair and unbiased.

Perhaps, it all started during the era of former military ruler Field Marshal Ayub Khan when former editor of Dawn Mr Altaf Hussain joined the government. During successive regimes journalists at times played role of ‘power brokers,’ too. They played this role during the 1977, Pakistan National Alliance movement against Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. The infamous Asghar Khan case is yet another example how some of senior journalists and editors were “paid”.

A line needs to be drawn that the newspaper space should not be used for political space of a few individuals. Media houses in Pakistan need to take some position provided they too not become part of the news.

Thus, the decision of Mr Yusufzai to become part of the four-member government committee talking to the Taliban may not fall in the same category because his job would end as soon as the talks are over but it would have been much better if he had continued to give his opinion during the negotiations as a neutral journalist. We will miss you, sir!

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The author is a seasoned journalist and former secretary-general of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists.

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Photo credit: Google Images

“No individual or organization can take editorial control of any media house into their hands and the job should be done by those who professionally are doing this,” FN said on February 3, 2013 in a press freedom alert after a senior journalist’s life was endangered through provocative threats, messages and hate speech.

Ansar Ali Naqvi, controller news with Pakistan’s leading 24/7 news channel – Geo News – alerted his channel and FN, Pakistan’s first independent realtime media watchdog organization, and other international organizations after a ferocious campaign against the journalist accusing him of ignoring news of the organization was launched.

“Yes, the ASWJ [Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat] has named and targeted me for the first time,” Ansar Naqvi told FN in emailed statement from Karachi on Sunday (February 2, 2014).

The organization is known for militant views against a minority Muslim sect’s community members in Pakistan.

“As the government of Sindh and senior Geo News management is aware of the threat, they are both responsible for ensuring the journalist’s safety at all costs and any harm to the Ansar Naqvi will be seen as failure of both the concerned quarters,” FN said.

“I received a call at 1839 hours on my cell number [on January 31] from Akber Saeedi, spokesman for ASWJ, who used to call or text me whenever he needed. Today, he called and said that Geo is not airing tickers and live news of ASWJ dharna [protest] and showing Musharraf, Musharraf and Musharraf news. Aap acha naheen kar rahe hain aur humain majboor na karain (You are not doing good and don’t force us …)”

Naqvi said he reminded the spokesman that Geo News channel did air news tickers of the organization’s leaders, Allama Mohammad Ahmed Ludhianvi and Allama Aurangzaib Farooqi, as “breaking [news] tickers” as the live transmission of Pervez Musharraf legal case judgment took a pause.

The spokesman responded by demanding immediate cut of the live transmission to air his organization’s public meeting against killing of members of the organization.

Explanation from the controller news appeared had little impact on the ASWJ spokesman who only wanted him to do – cut the live transmission. He went on to threaten the controller news: “… otherwise, it would not be good for you.”

“After few minutes, I received a call from our Karachi bureau chief Faysal Aziz Khan, who informed me that our Geo channel crew covering the ASWJ public meeting has been fired upon and they have been forced to run away from the coverage scene,” Ansar narrated the development.

Click this link to watch the video of the public meeting in which the director news was named:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=613702495345262

The bureau chief said armed men resorted to firing (which could be heard in the video) after ASWJ leader Akber Saeedi made an announced against the controller news on mike provoking the activists against the journalist.

Hours later, the journalist was bombarded with messages on his cellphone using threatening language and abusing him and his family, Ansar said.  “In an hour – from 9 to 10pm – I have received more than 50 SMS in which not life-threatening messages  but also insulting family members included.”

Some messages on his cell are:

0321-2483505: “Beta Sudhar ja hamare ulema se bad-tameezi mehangi paregi (Behave yourself, otherwise, misbehaving with our ulema (clerics) will cost you much.”

0334-1725592: “Janab Aap nay Ahle Sunnat Waljamt kay tarjuman ke sath Bad tamizi hai-Aakhir tum nay yeh bad tamizi kiyoon ki hai  tumhare khilaf action liya jayega”from Tehreek Talban Pakistan (Why have you misbehaved with ASWJ leaders? This misbehavior will invite action from Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan).”

0303-7530267: “Tera bandobast bhi karte hain sale (We will take care of you …).”

“More than 100 other messages with vulgar language and indecent words” were received, Naqvi added. The ASWJ spokesman used threatening language, although every level best attempt was made to convince him that their news was aired as breaking tickers, the journalist went on to say.

“I think they made me target for reason that I am Shia and also that I am a journalist,” he held the view. Never in 23 years long career of journalism I was targeted by any group on religious grounds of my faith.”

Naqvi appears unsatisfied with response his channel gave to the serious situation despite the fact that Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon and senior police official Khaliq Shaikh rang him up to ensure security for him. “No evidence of practical steps for the protection,” added the journalist after the he was contacted by the minister and the senior police official promising to help him out.

What worried the journalist is putting his name and cellphone number on social networking sites which may provoke any ASWJ activist to target Ansar, who approached Twitter, Facebook and other social media organizations to block websites with provocative speeches against him. “We are taking up your request,” the social networking sites responded to the journalist’s request.