NEW YORK: The Committee to Protect Journalists, an independent watchdog body, condemned Monday’s attacks on two media houses in Karachi – Nawa-i-Waqt media group and Aaj TV – and called on the authorities concerned to bring the perpetrators to justice.

“We condemn these latest attacks in Karachi and call on the government to ensure safety of journalists and media workers,” CPJ Asia Programme Coordinator Bob Dietz said in a statement. Unidentified assailants on a motorcycle had hurled explosives at the offices of Nawa-i-Waqt media group and Aaj TV, which are half a mile apart in Guru Mandir area, but there were no casualties.

Past investigations into anti-press violence in Pakistan lacked credibility, and perpetrators have rarely been brought to justice, CPJ, the New York-based body, pointed out.

CPJ ranked Pakistan eighth on its 2013 Impunity Index, which spotlights countries where journalists are murdered and their killers go free.

PAKISTAN 5TH MOST DANGEROUS COUNTRY FOR JOURNALISTS

INP adds: One hundred and thirty-four journalists and media support staff were killed while on reporting assignments last year, with Pakistan fifth on the list of countries with nine deaths, the London-based International News Safety Institute (INSI) said. Most of those killed were targeted deliberately. Of these, 65 died covering armed conflicts – primarily in Syria, where 20 were killed, and Iraq, where the death total was 16 – while 51 were killed in peacetime covering issues like crime and corruption, and 18 died in accidents.

After Syria and Iraq, cited by the institute as the most dangerous countries for journalists last year, came Philippines with 14 deaths, India with 13 and Pakistan with 9.

The total was down from 152 deaths recorded in 2012, but there was an accompanying rise in assaults, threats and kidnappings directed at journalists which largely go unreported, said the INSI study, “Killing the Messenger.” The institute, funded by major world news organisations including Reuters, has been issuing the report since 1996. Its main work is providing security training for journalists reporting in dangerous situations.

INSI said local journalists were the main victims, with 123 of the dead while covering their own country. Of the 20 who died in Syria, 16 were Syrian nationals.

“Most journalists were targeted, and shooting was the most common cause of death,” INSI said. The report, compiled for INSI by the Cardiff School of Journalism in Wales, showed 85 of the victims were shot.

Others died in explosions, stabbings and beatings, under torture or by strangulation, or in accidents, according to INSI. In 2012, 28 reporters died in Syria, 18 in Somalia, 12 in Nigeria, 11 in Mexico and 11 in Pakistan.

The Nation

Another bomb was discovered on February 18 in the parking lot of ARY television network. The attacks come within a month of the killing of three staff members of Express News, for which no one has yet been arrested.

The injured were Rasool Baksh, Guard and Abdus Sattar, Driver of Business Recorder who were rushed to a nearby hospital.

The attackers on a motorbike threw a low-intensity bomb at the guards’ check post outside the building of Business Recorder Group at around 7 PM, then went toward the Nawa-i-Waqt Group building and threw another crude bomb before fleeing the scene. Luckily, the second bomb did not explode and was defused by police. While the first bomb also damaged the main gate of the office and vehicles parked outside. An official of the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) said the bomb was a hand-made
cracker, prepared in a soft-drink tin and it contained around 250 to 300 grams of Aluminium powder as explosive.

In a separate incident of same sort, an explosive material found in the car parking of ARY TV channel’s head office in the morning of February 18. The bomb did not explode and was diffused by police.

The Coalition for Media Safety (COMS) strongly condemned the attack and called for effective steps by the government to ensure the safety of media organisations and personnel and for an end to the culture of impunity for those who resort to violence against media, which has made Pakistan among the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists.

In a statement issued here today COMS said that such attacks with impunity and failure of the police to investigate violence against media are further evidence of the urgent need for the appointment of a special prosecutor for investigate and prosecute violence against media organisations and professionals.

Pakistan Broadcasting Association (PBA) condemned the attack in strongest term and demanded that the Government should immediately investigate the incidents, provide security to media and arrest those involved. These attacks are attempts to prevent media from performing its responsibilities.

The All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) also condemned the attacks and expressed great concern over the increasing trend of attacks on media houses which suggests failure of law enforcing institutions. The APNS reiterated its demand that the government should provide foolproof security to the media houses and media men.

Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) strongly condemned the attack and demanded of the law enforcement agencies to take necessary steps to arrest the culprits. PFUJ said such incidents show the extent of threat faced by media, and demanded security to media organisations and media persons.

Pakistan Press Foundation

The working journalists under the banner of Hyderabad Union of Journalists on Monday staged a protest demonstration here in front of Hyderabad Press Club on Monday night against the bomb attack on the office of Aaj TV. The demonstrators led by President HUJ Junaid Khanzada strongly criticised the attacks on television news channel.

Among others, senior journalist Lal Rehman Sammu, Member FEC of PFUJ Hameed-ur-Rehman, General Secretary HUJ Javed Channa, Treasurer Nasir Shaikh, Qaseem Qureshi, Mansoor Mari, Saleem Mallah, Iqbal Qureshi, Irshad Channa, Shakeel Pathan, Muhammad Ali, Yasir Rajput, Umair Rajput, Syed Sajjad, Muhammad Shahid, Imran Malik, Muhammad Adeel and Danish Pirzada were also present on the occasion.

Business Recorder