They set up a protest camp at the press club and raised slogans against the media outlets that had failed to pay salaries to their workers for several months. Some of them have also sacked employees.

A large numbers of media persons were present at the camp where banners and placards were displayed with slogans in favour of their demands and against the owners for not paying their dues.

Speaking on the occasion, Peshawar Press Club president Nasir Hussain expres­sed concern over the sacking of employees from the Capital television channel, daily Mashriq and daily Pakistan, Peshawar, and non-payment of dues to them for several months.

“We have time and again held meetings with the owners and management of the organisations and apprised them of the miseries of the workers so that they release their salaries and reinstate the employees but to no avail,” he said.

The affected workers said that journalists were performing their professional duties in the worst law and order situation but media houses were not paying their salaries.

Workers of Capital TV said their salaries had not been paid for several months and when they demanded payment of the dues the owners sacked the entire staff.

The cheques earlier given to the workers had bounced, they alleged.

Workers of daily Pakistan said a general manager was avoiding paying the salaries despite the fact that sufficient private and government advertisements were appearing in the newspaper.

They said the chief reporter of the daily had died but the organisation was yet to clear his dues.

The speakers demanded that the government stop issuing advertisements to the newspapers which did not pay salaries to journalists.

They said they would expand the protest if the issues were not resolved.

DAWN

According to reports out of Pakistan, police attacked media on Saturday, August 30, including journalists and staff from ARY News, News One, AbbTakk News, Dunya TV, Dawan News and JAAG TV at one of the demonstrations. Several were injured during the attacks. Police reportedly also pulled camera operators and other media workers from DSNG vans and beat them with batons. The IFJ has also heard that police allegedly smashed cameras and DSNG vans of several channels as well as journalists’ vehicles.

Also on August 30, anti-government demonstrators attacked the office of Pakistan’s leading TV channel Geo News in Islamabad. Protesters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) were on a march toward the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s House, when the crowd of angry demonstrators gathered outside the Geo News office, pelting it with stones.

Some stick-wielding protestors reportedly also attacked the satellite van of Geo News as the staff in the building struggled to escape. No-one was hurt in the incident but the building was damaged in the onslaught.

Today, September 1, over 800 PTI and PAT protesters stormed the PTV building in the early afternoon, holding a number of staff hostage and forcing management to shut down the transmission of PTV News and PTV World. They also stole weapons from security guards manning the building and damaged a number of PTV vehicles. There have also been reports of violence and manhandling against PTV staff.

The PFUJ said: “We demand the government to avoid attack on journalists; and advise journalists to take maximum care and keep their safety and security a priority.”

The IFJ said that incidences of police intentionally targeting media personal covering demonstrations was a deplorable situation and highlights the increasing security challenge facing journalists in Pakistan. The IFJ reminds journalists to remain vigilant during this time, and safety should remain their upmost priority. Please access the IFJ Safety Guidelines for Covering Demonstrations and Civil Unrest for more information.

“The police have the responsibility of protecting journalists; so their assault and violence cannot be justified by any logic,” the IFJ Asia-Pacific said. “We urge an immediate investigation into the matter and action against those policemen involved in the assault on journalists.”

International Federation of Journalists

Those killed included Irshad Mustoi, Bureau Chief, Abdul Rasool Khajjak, reporter and Muhammad Younas, accountant. They were working in their office when armed men barged in at about 7:45 and opened fire and left the crime scene. No one has so far clamed responsibility for the attack.

Khajjak and Younas died instantly while Irshad was critically injured and died on way to hospital. The bodies were shifted to the hospital and initial examination showed that they suffered fatal bullet wounds in chest and head.

Mustoi, 35-year-old was also working as Assignment Editor of ARY News television channel. He was also General Secretary of Balochistan Union of Journalist (BUJ). The deceased left behind a widow, two daughters and a one year-old son.

Abdul Rasool Khajjak was a final year student of Mass Communication at Balochistan University. He had completed a three-month internship in the news agency and now working as a reporter.

Mohammad Younas was serving as an accountant in the news agency for a number of years.

President Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and other journalist unions across the country have condemned the murders and called for immediate arrest of the killers. PFUJ has announced to observe a ‘black day’ on August 29, 2014. Quetta Press Club (QPC) has also announced a three-day mourning.

Pakistan Press Foundation

This was stated in a statement issued here by PCP Chairman, Raja Shafqat Abbasi who took strong exception to the attacks/threats on working journalist and warned that nobody should be allowed to pressurize the media to toe their line.

He said repeated attacks/threats on media persons/houses is the biggest challenge for those who advocate for democracy, free press and revere difference in opinion . Chairman has asked the government to take effective measure to protect free functioning of the press.

He said on this grave issue PCP will take up the issue of security of media houses with the concerned government officials. He said under article 19 and 19(A) of the constitution government is bound to protect free functioning of the press and security of the working journalist.

“Now we need to react fast and nation must unite to take on those who pose a threat to free press”, He added.

He said these are tough times as forces of disorder and conflict are pitched against decency of order, rule of law and free flow of information and we must tackle it with a befitting response.

Pakistan Observer

“What Chishti has described is shocking that the Karachi police could kidnap a journalist to deliver him to the Boss,” FN said.

Ali Chishti, who writes for Pakistani and foreign publications on security issues, went on air on Friday night to describe his ordeal after being picked up from Karachi’s PECHS area along with his driver on August 30 at around 8pm by “uniformed personnel” of the Karachi police.

“Upon enquiry, I was told that I am not being kidnapped but someone wanted to see me; when I asked who?” They said “Boss,” Chishti said.

“Chishti’s kidnapping is the second case after journalist Abdul Razki Baloch’s body was found with signs of torture on August 21 in Karachi. Anything less than a thorough investigation under the supervision of a Sindh High Court judge will not take us to facts,” FN demanded of the Sindh chief minister. Meanwhile, Senator Saeed Ghani of the Pakistan People’s Party has contacted Chishti and promised an investigation.

Daily Times

Ali K. Chishti, a correspondent of Friday Times, said he was intercepted by some half a dozen policemen in the PECHS area minutes after he had left his office with driver on Aug 30.

Mr Chishti, who felt that there was serious threat to his life, left for Islamabad after the incident. He said he ‘suspected some people’ of being behind the incident. However, he did not mention any name.

“I was dragged out of my car, put into a police vehicle and taken to Do Darya where I and my driver were handed over to some people in civvies. I also heard a gunshot…soon after we were taken out of the vehicle. I was kept there for nine hours and severely beaten up. My driver has since been missing,” he said.

Mr Chishti said the people in civvies threatened him and asked him to leave the city within 24 hours and refrain from reporting the matter to anyone. They also ‘abused’ Friday Times editor Najam Sethi, he added.

“I wrote extensively on national security issues and also about extremist elements. I am not sure but have enough reasons to believe who they were and why they did it to me,” said Mr Chishti.

Our New York Correspondent adds: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called on the Pakistani government to fully investigate the abduction and beating of Mr Chishti.

Mr Chishti told CPJ and other news outlets that he had been abducted and beaten up on Aug 30, and released the next morning.

DAWN

As per details, yesterday morning three innocent school going children have been died in a roadside accident at the Gulibagh area of Swat. The children were going to school after they were hit by a speeding vehicle. The locals rushed them to Saidu Sharif District Hospital where doctor declared them dead.

In the meanwhile a private TV channel (Khyber News) reporter Saeed Rehman along with his cameramen (Saeed Iqbal) reached the hospital to cover up the tragic incident, where driver of police van Adnan, exchanged harsh words with the reporters and starting beating both of them. He broke up TV camera well.

Later, Swat Union of Journalists staged a protest rally against the barbarism of police, which was led by Chairman Swat Press Club Rasheed Iqbal and President Swat Union of Journalists Hazrat Bilal to record their protest with peaceful way.

When the rally participants reached the office of DIG Malakand Division Abdullah Khan, the police personnel deputed at the DIG office entrance once again started thrashing the entire journalists community on the main Saidu Sharif Road.

Police fired rubber bullets at journalists in a bid to block their entry to DIG office and disperse them.

After the incident a meeting was held in the Swat Press Club, in which journalists demanded stern action against the cops involved in their manhandling.

They also demanded the transfer of SSP Swat Gul Afzal, DSP City Amjad Khan and SHO Saidu Sharif Police Station Hanif Khan, otherwise, the protest against the police will be continued till their posting order.

Source: The Nation