Umar Cheema, a Pakistani journalist, wrote often about the military. Then one night masked men hauled him from his car and during six hours of torture, sexual humiliation, and threats, they made it clear that the reporting should stop. Cheema not only refused to stop writing, he went public with his ordeal. “I wanted to send a message that I
QUETTA: Pakistan remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists, media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said in its annual report released on Wednesday, with Balochistan a hotspot for violence. Seven reporters were killed in the line of duty in 2013, the report said, blaming the government’s “unwillingness to administer justice”. By comparison, ten journalists were
PESHAWAR: Three back-to-back explosions occurred inside Peshawar’s Shama Cinema on Tuesday, killing 11 people and leaving at least 19 others injured. According to Dawn News, multiple explosions occurred when a show was ongoing in the cinema. Subsequently, 11 people were killed whereas 19 others were injured, an official at Lady Reading Hospital, Syed Jameel Shah, said where the wounded persons
By: Ayushman Jamwal Even though Pakistan has enjoyed one full term of a democratically elected government, followed by a successful election last year, its citizens are struggling to fully enjoy one of the basic tenets of democracy – the freedom of expression. The Pakistani state has been in regulation mode since the former PPP government banned Youtube after the movie
Karachi: Asharq Al-Awsat—Fears are growing among Pakistan’s journalists following a recent spate of killings and death threats against media workers in the country that have been linked to the Pakistani Taliban. In response, some journalists have hired bodyguards to accompany them at work, while others have asked their families to leave the country. Perceptions of danger have grown during the
For the past 15 years, Muqtida Mansoor has been taking his life into his hands simply by writing. His column, which appears twice weekly in the Urdu language Daily Express newspaper based in Karachi, Pakistan, has brought insults and death threats from extremists. The Sunday Edition This has not deterred Mansoor from defending freedom of speech and challenging the rising
ISLAMABAD: A delegation of Press Council of Pakistan led by its Chairman Raja M. Shafqat Khan Abbasi called on President Mamnoon Hussain in Islamabad Thursday. The chairman PCP briefed the president about role‚ mandate‚ activities and achievements of the Press Council of Pakistan. President said the government recognises and respects the critical role of the media as a fourth pillar
NEW YORK: Dean of Columbia University’s Journalism School, famous American author and journalist Steve Coll, while lauding the bravery of the Pakistani journalists working in the worst violence-hit part of the world, has said that Pakistan and Mexico are the worst places in the world for journalists. “Journalists in Pakistan are another emerging professional core of the country I believe
THE launching of Malala’s book ‘I am Malala’ by Peshawar University was stopped by the provincial government. It is being criticised by many, including Imran Khan, on the ground that it amounts to curbing freedom of expression. Launching of a book is simply a ceremony. Disallowing it does not mean “curbing the freedom of expression”. Banning the publication and sale/purchase
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