The basic philosophy of Editors for Safety will be that an attack on one journalist or media house will be considered an attack on the entire media. Those in the organisation will assess such situations and jointly make decisions regarding media coverage of violence and threats of violence against any media house as if it was an attack against themselves. Beyond coverage, Editors for Safety would also assist any journalist or media house that needs help in dealing with such issues by providing resources, sharing information and expertise, or reaching out to stakeholders involved.

The formal creation of Editors for Safety has ensured close, timely coordination between many newspaper editors and television news directors on cases of attacks/threats on media professionals, and has already resulted in improving the quality of media coverage of such attacks. The decision has been taken so that media houses can speak with one voice against the prevalent culture of impunity where journalists across the country are being attacked on a regular basis, and perpetrators are rarely brought to justice.

The meeting decided to approach all newspapers editors and television news directors to join Editors for Safety. The meeting also decided to consult with All Pakistan Newspaper Society (APNS), Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) and Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) and invite them to nominate representatives to Editors for Safety.

Those who attended the meeting and formed Editors for Safety included Wamiq Zuberi (Business Recorder), Mujibur Rehman Shami (Daily Pakistan), Ali Kazi (KTN and Kawish), Fahd Hussain (Express News), Azhar Abbas (Geo News), Shahrukh Hassan (The Jang Group), Abdul Khaliq (Online), Anwer Sajdi (daily Intekhab), Aamer Ahmed Khan (Aaj TV), Tahir Najmi (daily Express), Jabbar Khatttak (Awami Awaz), Zahid Mazhar (Dawn News), Jahanzaib Haque (Dawn.com), Naveed Hussain (Express Tribune), Farhan Reza (ARY News), Imran Saleem Dar (AVT), Zaffar Abbas (Dawn) and Owais Aslam Ali (PPF).

Those who could not attend the meeting but have been part of the consultations on Editors for Safety, and have given their consent, include Arif Nizami (Pakistan Today and Channel 24), Rameeza Nizami (Nawa-e-Waqt/The Nation group), Kamran Khan (Duniya News), Kazi Abid (Ibrat) and Siddiq Baloch (Balochistan Express).

The meeting decided that Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) would be the secretariat of Editors for Safety.

Media plays a crucial role in an open society. Pakistan, however, has turned into the most dangerous county for media persons. In a ranking of the states that do not investigate and prosecute murders of journalists, Pakistan is placed in the unenviable category of the top-most ten. The report pinpoints eight sources of threat to the journalists: Militants, political networks, religious parties, ethnic groups, tribal and feudal lords and law enforcement agencies. The threats include killing, unjustly detaining, abduction and torture. We are told that since 2001, 71 journalists and media workers have lost their lives in pursuit of their duties. Of these 47 have been deliberately targeted and murdered for independent reporting while others were killed when covering dangerous assignments. In only two cases have the murderers been convicted by the courts

The report, however, fails to take note of certain dark aspects of what it calls a vibrant, independent and fairly free media. A streak of intellectual backwardness charcterises a fairly large section of the media community. This includes narrow-mindedness, religious and sectarian prejudice and chauvinism. Media being an industry, the media owners sell everything which is in demand, including religiosity. The way clerics were shown blaming sins and lack of adherence to religion as a cause of the earthquakes is one of untold examples. There are self-imposed taboos and a suppression of bad reports about multinationals and state enterprises that provide lucrative ads. There is need to take note of this dark aspect to make media really free.

Pakistan Today

A number of unidentified people threw small explosives described as crackers, targeting the DSNG of Dunya News, Dawn News and Abb Tak News channels after the conclusion of a political rally at Faizabad Interchange. The attack left five media workers injured.

The attack took place after the completion of coverage of the political rally organized by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. The crackers were hauled at the parked DSNG vans from a motorcycle. According to reports, the crackers left an eight-inch wide and one inch deep crater at the site and damaged the TV vans.

DSNG engineer Ziaul Haq and cameraman Mohsin Ali of DawnNews, Nadir Hussain and Amir Ishfaq of Duniya News and Suleman Mubarik of Abb Takk News were injured in the incident who received treatment by Rescue 1122 medical staff on the spot.

The police have registered a case against unnamed attackers and are investigating what amounts of explosives were used.

The IFJ and the PFUJ demand immediate arrest of the culprits. The PFUJ is holding protest programs against the attack around the country.

The PFUJ said: “We condemn the incident and consider it an act of terrorism to threaten media to stop them showing truth. Such incidents cannot stop media men to perform their duties to show people the truth.”

Jane Worthington, the acting director of the IFJ Asia-Pacific said: “Attacks on television channels has become routine in political rallies in Pakistan; it is a cowardly act and becoming part of Pakistan’s culture of impunity. The IFJ condemns the attack and urge the government to ensure safety and security of journalists on the field.”

International Federation of Journalists

CPPC Convener Arshad Ansari said crackers attacks on DSNGs during event coverage showed poor security arrangements. PFUJ Vice President Mudassir Khan, PUJ President Waseem Farooq Shahid, senior journalist Deen Muhammad Dard, Pervez Altaf, Shadab Riaz, Ghulam Mujtaba Bajwa, Nasira Attique, Attiya Zaidi, Marwa Ansar Chaudhry, Hafiz Rizwanul Haq, Shabbir Hussain Toori and Comrade Zawwar Hussain address the protestors.

Protest demonstrations against crackers attacks were also held in Faisalabad and Gujranwala. In Gujranwala, the demonstration was led by Press Club President Tariq Munir Butt. Others who attended the demonstration were senior journalist Muhammad Akram Malik, Dr Umar Naseer, Mirza Iqbal, Raja Habib, Rana Ansar Shahzad, Ghulam Fareed Sandhu and others.

In Faisalabad, print and electronic media employees organised a protest rally from Press Club to Kutchery Bazaar, which culminated at Zila Council Chowk. News Cameramen Association General Secretary Nasir Malik, senior journalists Hassam Qazi Mian Munawar and Muhammad Shafiq addressed the rally.

Our Correspondent adds from Bahawalpur: On the call of the PFUJ, the Bahawalpur Union of Journalists members staged a demonstration against increasing attacks on journalists, particularly on cameramen of electronic media and DSNGs of various channels in Islamabad recently.

The protesters, led by PFUJ Vice-President Muhammad Ameen Abbasi, chanted slogans against the attacks at Chowk Fawara. Addressing the protesters, Ameen Abbasi said violence against media men and particularly against the country’s largest media group ‘Jang Group’ was not tolerable. He asked the government to take concrete steps for protection of journalists and media-related staffers.

The News

The incident occurred after a political rally, organized by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) when two men on a motorcycle hurled crackers at the parked DSNG vans of Dawn News, Dunya News and Abb Tak News channels. Five media personnel, DSNG engineer Ziaul Haq and cameraman Mohsin Ali of Dawn News, Nadir Hussain and Amir Ishfaq of Duniya News and Suleman Mubarik of Abb Takk News were injured who received treatment by Rescue 1122 medical staff on the spot. The DSNG vans were partially damaged in the attack.

No one claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Police registered a case against unnamed attackers and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Islamabad Asmatullah Junego said the target was the DSNG of Dawn News.

President of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) Rana M Azeem and Secretary General Amin Yousuf strongly condemned attack and demanded that that the culprits be captured and put behind the bars. “We condemn the incident and consider this a terrorism to threat media to stop them showing truth. Such incidents cannot stop media men to perform their duties,” Rana Azeem said.

Pakistan Press Foundation

The attack on media workers in Islamabad on Sunday appears to be part of this pattern of intimidation and violence. Five media persons were injured when unidentified attackers lobbed a cracker at DSNG vans returning from the PTI rally.

Two of the victims work for DawnNews, while employees of Dunya News and Abb Takk News were also among the injured.

Also read: DawnNews vehicle attacked in Islamabad, cameraman injured

A similar incident was witnessed in Karachi in January, when an Express News van was attacked. Unfortunately, in that incident — claimed by the banned TTP — lives were lost. The same media house’s offices in Karachi were also targeted in earlier attacks.

While claims of responsibility for the latest attack had not emerged at the time of writing, a committee has been formed to investigate the incident.

The number of actors who have attacked journalists and media workers in the past have included religious and separatist militants, as well as individuals reportedly associated with political parties.

Personnel apparently working for the security agencies have also been known to target media workers. So until more details of Sunday’s incident emerge, it will be difficult to fix the blame.

However, what past cases make clear is that almost anyone can commit acts of violence against the media in Pakistan, and get away with it. In this case too, how did the attackers disappear into the ether in the supposedly secure environs of Islamabad?

We hope the committee formed to investigate the matter pursues the case and does not end up with inconclusive results similar to those of committees past. And media houses need to close ranks to send a strong message to the state that violence against journalists will not be tolerated and those using intimidatory tactics against media workers must be made to face the law.

DAWN

Pakistan is ranked 158 out of 180 countries in this year’s World Press Freedom Index and has one of the highest murder rates for journalists. As is evident from this statement there is almost no space for freedom of expression in the country which provides a free playing field for law enforcement authorities and extremist religious forces particularly the militant groups – to act as they please. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has announced the appointment of a Commission for the protection of journalists but it has remained as only an announcement and no further action has been taken in that regard. Still no mechanisms have been developed to stop the attacks on the media houses. The political parties, the pressure groups and religious militant groups in an effort to dictate their policies continuously attack media houses and journalists.

Several media houses including the Pakistan Television (PTV), the official government channel, was attacked by hundreds of political activists, supporters of Imran Khan, a cricketer turned politician and Dr. Tahirul Qadri, a Pakistani born Canadian national. Broadcasts were stopped for 40 minutes following the capture of the station and after hundreds of people, many armed with sticks, ransacked the Pakistan Television building in central Islamabad, smashing vehicles in the parking lots and cutting transmission cables in the newsrooms. The network said that at least 14 cameras had been stolen.

Reports revealed that on the instructions from the Pakistan Army – by a mere gesture of raising a finger – the army abandoned the occupation of PTV building. However, during this period protesters have attacked and injured more than 100 policemen – as police have been given instructions not to use fire arms against the agitators. A senior police officer, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) was beaten in front of PTV building and has been seriously injured. More than 100 persons inside the PTV building were also harassed and beaten and one lady anchor person has been abused by the protesters.

About half a dozen senior journalists have received death threats from “unknown persons”. However, it is generally a known fact that these ‘un-known persons’ are those representing the various state intelligence agencies.

Following is a list of names of injured persons from the different media houses;
Khuram Shazad, Cameraman, Sama TV,
Awais Qazi, Cameraman, Sama TV,
Amir Syed Ababs, Reporter, Sama TV,
Atif Yousef, Cameraman, Waqt TV,
Imran Iqbal, Cameraman waqt TV,
Muhammad Zahid DSNG Engineer, Waqt TV,
Jameel Kayani, Driver, Waqt TV,
Essa Naqvi, Reporter, Duniya TV,
Hassan Ayub, Reporter, Dunya TV,
Dan, Engineer, Dunya TV,
Anjum Fatimi, Cameraman, Dunya TV,
Asif Abduulah, Cameraman, Ary News,
Iqbal zeb,cameraman, Ary News,
Kashif Abbasi, Cameraman, Dawn News,
Noshad Abbasi, Cameraman, Dawn News,
Kashif Malik, Reporter, Dawn News,
Samar Ababs, Reporter, Dawn News,
Ishfaq Hussan, Cameraman, Dawn News,
Imran Chudry, Cameraman, Dawn News,
Mansoor Ahmed, Cameramen, Dawn News,
Amir Alam, Cameraman, Eexpress News,
Majid Shah, Cameraman, Express News,
Usman Afzal, Cameraman, Express News,
Bakhat Zameen, Driver, Express News,
Rana Tariq, Reporter, Aaj Tv,
Haroon Khurshid, Cameraman, Aaj Tv,
Ghulam Ali, Cameraman, Aaj Tv,
Azad Syed, Star Reporter, Geo Tv,
Arshad Syed, Senior Reporter,
Farhat Jabeen, Senior Reporter,
Saif-ur-Rehman, Journalist, Geo Tv,
Shabir Ahmed, Cameraman, Geo Tv,
Khuram Shahzad, Cameraman, Geo Tv,
Ihsan Ali, Bureau Chief, Mashiq,
Arshad Waheed, Senior Reporter
Ajab Khan, Cameraman Sama Tv,
Ghulam Shahzad, Cameraman Geo Tv,
Essa Ali, Bureau Chief Mashriq

Received threats from ‘unknown persons’

Kamran Shafi, Senior journalists
Ahmed Noorani, The News Reporter,
Ajab Khan, Cameraman Sama Tv.
Omar Quereshi, editor Express tribune and contributor to DW

Four Journalists and five supportive staff killed

In another recent event, on 28th August 2014, the office of the Online International News Network in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan Province, was attacked by “unknown persons” who had shot dead three persons including a prominent journalist, Irshad Mastoi, a trainee journalist, Ghulam Rasool and an accountant. No one has been arrested for the shooting. Since the year 2001, when military operations started in the different parts of Balochistan, to-date 40 journalists have been killed by “un-known persons” and not a single attacker has ever been tried before a court of law.

The phenomena of “unknown persons” has been introduced by the successive military governments which gives impunity to these ‘killers’ and it has been a common occurence, following the incident of 9/11 when the military government of General Pervez Musharraf received support from the international community on the “war against terrorism”. Since then, journalists have always been at the receiving end of attacks from these “un-known persons”. Moreover, journalists have increasingly been involved in several incidents of forced disappearances and extra judicial killings including target killings and “un-known persons” have been attributed in all such acts.

On 14th February2014, a correspondent for the ‘Daily Intekhab’ was attacked and killed in Khuzdar, in Balochistan by “un-known persons”. Prior to his killing, he has been receiving death threats from such persons for reporting on disappearances and extra judicial killings.

On 1st January 2014, a reporter for “Abb Tak Television” was shot dead; shot in the back, while filming outside a pharmacy near the Badah Press Club in Larkana, in the Sindh Province. The army claimed that the video which he was recording at the time showed medication Dahar bought at a pharmacy which had a “not for resale” stamp on it – and the journalist was killed a few minutes after.

On 17th January 2014, in the North Nazimabad area in Karachi, the capital of Sindh Province, the vehicle – a van belonging to Express TV was attacked in the early hours by “un-known persons” killing three supporting staff working for the TV channel. They were Waqas Aziz Khan, Mohammad Khalid, and Ashraf Arain. The cameraman was sleeping at the rear seat of the van and thus escaped unhurt. The Express TV was also targeted by Taliban and other militant groups for criticizing the resurgence of Islamic militancy.

In yet another incident, Geo TV, one of the biggest channels in Pakistan, is continuously under pressure from the ISI – the infamous army intelligence agency for the past four months for naming the involvement of the ISI in the attempted murder of a prominent anchorperson, Mr. Hamid Mir, who received six bullet shots by “un-known” persons while he was travelling in his car.

Since January 2013 to date 19 journalists and 10 supporting staff have been killed and no person has been arrested for these killings. The tribal area of Khyber Pakhtunkha (KP) Province and Balochistan remained the ‘killing fields’ where most journalists have been attacked and killed.

Attacks and death threats to journalists

Raza Rumi, the anchorperson of Express TV was attacked by “un-known persons” on March 28th 2014, in the city of Lahore, the capital of Punjab Province. He received minor injury but his driver was killed. Rumi was receiving life threats through unidentified telephone calls. After the attack he has fled the country.

On 19th April 2014, a prominent journalist and an anchorperson for GEO TV was critically wounded by six bullets as explained above. The assailants yet remain unknown. He and his family members accuse the ISI and its chief general Zaheerul Islam of organizing the attempted murder.

TV host Imtiaz Alam has also been receiving death threats. A few months ago TV anchor Jasmin Manzoor reportedly cried in front of the Prime Minister and begged for her life. She was threatened to be killed allegedly by a political party, the MQM and then she had to flee the country.

On 22nd August 2014, a prominent columnist for various local and international newspapers and a retired army officer, Kamran Shafi received death threats by mail, from a group claiming themselves to be the ‘Khaki power’ (a term is used for army persons) and these threats have continued for several days. In the threatening mails his nick name which was used during his service in the army has been referred to – a nickname, he claims was only privy to him and his army colleagues.

In the first week of September, Omar Quereshi, the editor of editorial page of Express Tribune and contributor to the German broadcasting house, the DW, has received death threat messages in his private email account.

On 2nd May 2014, GEO TV’s news cameraman Asif Kabir was travelling to the channel’s office in Model Town A, Bahawalpur, Punjab, when three motorcyclists wearing helmets had stopped him. The three men had called him a traitor and an Indian agent and then had assaulted him in broad daylight. The assault left him badly injured and reports stated that the persons had also attempted to steal his camera. As of this date neither case nor investigation has commenced by the police into this incident.

These reports were extracted from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters without Borders and various other media houses in Pakistan;

Jamshed Baghwan, Express News TV’s Bureau Chief in Peshawar experienced a gruesome third attempt on his life by unknown persons. Unknown persons have set up an explosive device outside his house in Peshawar, capital of KP Province. The devise was left in a milk pack in front of the house by men on a motorcycle. The bomb damaged the outside of the building but caused no injuries. This followed an 11-month long string of attacks on the Express Media group personnel and their installations. Some of these attacks have been claimed by the Taliban.

In another incident, unidentified gunmen torched cable TV operator WorldCall’s premises in the southern city of Karachi on 19th July 2014 in order to silence the embattled TV news station Geo News. WorldCall had only recently resumed transmission of Geo News, which the government suspended for 15 days last month. Police and witnesses said between four – six gunmen stormed into WorldCall’s offices, disarmed security guards, ordered employees to leave and then set fire to the place. The blaze gutted the premises but caused no injuries. It also interrupted transmission of Geo News in several parts of the city.

From 14th August 2014 to date dozens of journalists including females journalist have been attacked and injured by the political workers or activists of Imran Khan and Dr. Tahirul Qadri, who have been agitating against the government outside the Parliament house, the Prime Minister’s house and the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

On 15th August 2014 at least four crew members from Aaj News, including digital satellite news gathering engineer Iqbal, cameramen Usmaan, Iqbal, and Samaarat, were beaten up by workers from the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party while covering a speech by the PTI leader Imran Khan during a sit-in in Islamabad. The four have been treated in hospital for minor injuries.

On 17th August 2014, as many as eight reporters, cameramen and drivers have been assaulted by the workers in two days alone. Azaz Syed, a star reporter of Geo TV, was abused; his mike was snatched and when he was about to go on air from the rally venue in order to report on the situation on ground. Meanwhile, a mob had encircled him and forced him out of the venue. All this for working for GeoTV. Arshad Waheed, a senior reporter of the network, also came under attack the same day.

On the same day, another Geo TV journalist, Saif-ur-Rehman, came under attack by Imran Khan’s party (PTI) activists who identified him by the mike carrying the logo of the network. He had to flee the scene to save his life. Shabbir Ahmed, a cameraman of Geo TV, had his camera broken by the PTI’s miscreants. Another cameraman, Khurram Shehzad, was beaten.

On 30th August 2014, when protesters were marching towards the Parliament house to attack there had been a clash between marchers and the police and during this clash, police have deliberately attacked and severely beaten several journalists.

Asian Human Rights Commission

Business Recorder

They were also surprisingly familiar with the locations of key offices and the central newsroom and news studios located within the labyrinthine building of the state-broadcaster, which is a veritable maze for newcomers.

PTV officials told Dawn that the intruders also harassed station employees vandalised several offices on different floors.

A security official deputed at PTV Headquarters told Dawn around 9:30am, approximately half an hour before the station was stormed; a bearded man approached the security room adjacent to the building’s main gate and issued an ominous warning.

“Be ready. We are coming for you in a little while,” the security official quoted the unidentified man as having said.

“I thought he must’ve been some sort of over zealous protester, trying to harass us, the official said, adding that just after 10am, when hundreds of protesters stormed the building, he was forced to change his opinion.

Upon entering the premises, a team of individuals made straight for the MCR, where they asked technicians to first remove all news tickers that were relaying news of the state broadcaster’s occupation by protesters, at the time.

Following this, the men, who appeared to be from both PTI and PAT, asked them to cease transmission.

“A layman cannot possibly understand the technicalities of transmission so well; they knew exactly what they had to do,” an MCR technician told Dawn, adding that it was surprising that they managed to find the MCR with such ease.

In order to ensure that PTV went off the air, certain individuals among the occupying group asked the staff inside the broadcast facility to deactivate the satellite uplink, while keeping uplink and downlink monitors active, the MCR technician said.

“In my near-30 year career, this is the second time I’ve seen the army deployed at PTV Headquarters,” he said, referring to the coup staged by former military ruler Pervez Musharraf in October 1999.

“This time around, I don’t how long the army will state here, because their presence is felt to be necessary for as long as these anti-government sit-ins continue,” he said.

PTV World Controller Mohammad Owais Butt told Dawn that it was a stroke of good luck that after taking over the MCR, the protesters did not seek to come on-air and make a statement against the interests of the state.

“We were afraid that they might force us to air their own propaganda, but thankfully, they seemed content with interrupting our transmission,” he said.

DAWN

According to eyewitnesses, nearly 400 PTI and PAT workers stormed the PTV building, across the road from the main entrance to the Pakistan Secretariat. The attack came soon after demonstrators were repulsed from the secretariat compound.

But the occupying force was dispersed without incident by a contingent of army and Rangers personnel, who arrived on the scene within an hour of the state-TV being taken off-air.

Transmission was restored shortly after noon as the occupying force dispersed peacefully, shouting pro-army slogans and hugging military and paramilitary personnel who arrived at the scene.

This is the first time that PTV’s transmission went blank since October 12, 1999, when former military ruler retired General Pervez Musharraf took power in a bloodless coup after toppling the government of then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Eyewitnesses told Dawn the protesters were carrying PTI and PAT flags and shouting slogans in favour of Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri. PTV Senior Controller Asmatullah Niazi blamed the district administration for what he called their failure to protect the state broadcaster.

PTV employees had been facing a hard time, as their office was located right on the edge of the red zone and was at the centre of the anti-government protests, which have raged on in the capital for over two weeks now.

“Despite the army’s deployment in aid of civil authorities, how could the administration forget to deploy security around this key national institution,” he said.

Mr Niazi said that PAT workers who stormed the building instructed staff manning the channel’s transmission to stop broadcasting “useless content” and asked them to broadcast speeches by Dr Tahirul Qadri.

DAWN