KARACHI – Security personnel in plain clothes on Sunday arrested The Nation Chief Reporter Mansoor Khan when he was covering the rally of the MQM-London chapter and kept him in brief detention at an undisclosed location. He was later released after security high-ups intervened into the matter.

According to details, Mansoor Khan was covering the MQM-London rally at Azizabad area and was returning after performing his professional duties when plain clothed men approached him and detained him. Khan also presented his office and Karachi Press Club cards to the men but they refused to listen to him and took him away after blindfolding him. He was later kept in brief detention and was released after security high-ups intervened into the matter.

Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) office bearers Ayub Jan Sarhandi and Faheem Siddiqui condemned the detention of Mansoor Khan and said that despite showing his identity to security personnel while covering a political party gathering was intolerable. “The attitude from the security personnel was the same that was witnessed during raid at Karachi Press Club,” they said adding that attempts were being made through such acts to suppress the freedom of speech and independent media. They however, vowed that the journalist community was united against such acts and would foil any such activity.

Adviser to Chief Minister Sindh on Information Murtaza Wahab also condemned the detention of Mansoor Khan and said that the provincial government was committed to ensure safety of journalist community and uphold the media freedom in the country.

The Nation

KARACHI: Local and foreign journalists while speaking during the three-day International Media Conference, jointly organised by IFJ, PFUJ and KUJ, called for fair reporting to bring peace and justice at the international level.

The conference, which started on Friday at a local hotel, concluded on Sunday. Journalists from 15 countries representing International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and other journalist unions attended the event.

The declaration issued after the event demanded of the Government of Pakistan to respect and implement all international instruments for the protection of journalists.

The declaration further called upon authorities to establish the right of the families of the killed journalists for compensation, directly or through media outlets, and the setting up of a solidarity fund for the victims.

Speakers during the sessions of the conference said that media organisations have moral responsibility to ensure safety of their journalists including provision of medical care and life insurance.

The declaration noted that media editors have a responsibility to systematically publicise crimes against journalists, investigate them as thoroughly as possible and expose any failure on part of the government and justice system to make the perpetrators accountable for their crimes.

The declaration was signed by Anthony Bellanger, Deputy Gen Secretary, on behalf of PFUJ President, Jim Boumelha, Rana Muhammad Azeem, President PFUJ and Muhammad Amin Yousuf, Secretary General, PFUJ. The participants thanked Governor Sindh Dr Ishrat-uI-Ebad Khan for his efforts to help organise the Conference.

Sabina Inderjeet, an Indian journalist, spoke on democratic media in India and Pakistan and said that there was press freedom in India and tremendous growth has been witnessed in its media industry. Except the emergency of 1975-77, there is no state censorship. It goes without saying that thanks to vibrant media, India is a vibrant democracy.

William Oloo, President Kenya Correspondent Association (KCA), spoke on embedded journalism, saying it is not a good reporting form and sounds more like a travelogue because the authorities posted in war zones do not allow proper access to news. Thus, it becomes a PR exercise, he said adding that embedded journalism is not true journalism and accuracy is often compromised. “As a matter of fact, truth becomes a big issue and there are increasing questions on the objectivity of embedded journalists and media,” he said.

Speaking on the rise of social media, Martin O’Hanlon, President CWAISCA Canada, said that traditional media plays a better role in providing factual, unbiased, ethical coverage. He said that it was a challenge for traditional media companies to retain readership and to make money from online products.

About 72 percent of journalists consider the social media to be important to the performance of their daily work, he added.

During the session, it was observed that about 56 percent of journalists said that they were no longer able to perform their duties without help form social media. Similarly, 68 percent of journalists believe that journalism can no longer operate without the social media.

Sameera Aziz, a journalist and film-maker from Saudi Arabia, spoke on the gender dimensions of media. She highlighted several issues which female journalists face. She said that female representation on top-level position across media organizations in different countries is insufficient. She said that gender studies should me made part of the curricula in order to sensitise people about gender issues.

Veteran journalist, Qammar Abbas Jafri spoke on the subject, ‘beyond geographical divide: media as a connecting tool.’ Speaking on the occasion, former President PFJU Pervez Shaukat laid emphasis on the unity of the journalist community.

Business Recorder

According to a press release issued Wednesday, the CPPC meeting called for unity among different factions of PFUJ, one led by Rana Azeem, one led by Idrees Bakhtiar and one by Afzal Butt for the cause of journalism and the journalist community at large. The meeting was attended by CPPC central convener and Lahore Press Club President Arshad Ansari, National Press Club President Farooq Faisal Khan, Karachi Press Club President Imtiaz Khan Faran, Skardu Press Club President Nisar Abbas, Quetta Press Club Vice President Muhammad Ajmal, Central Press Club Azad Kashmir Secretary Tahir Ahmed Farooqi and Raja Waseem.

The participants of the meeting stressed the need that all the three groups of PFUJ should have to get united at one platform to fight with all the challenges faced by journalist community and media including conspiracies against independent media, freedom of expression, suspension of channels, hurdles in distribution of newspapers, implementation of wage board award etc.

The News

Girl strangled to death: LHC seeks detailed report

The Lahore High Court here on Wednesday taking notice of strangling a girl to death by her two elder brothers and the brother-in-law for marrying a person of her choice directed District & Sessions Judge Sahiwal to look into the matter and submit detailed report within a week. According to details, 21-year-old Allah Mafi, and a Baloch youth, Anser, of her own village ran from their houses and contracted a court marriage in Sahiwal.

Business Recorder

http://www.brecorder.com/general-news/172:pakistan/1200796:girl-strangled-to-death-lhc-seeks-detailed-report/?date=2014-07-10

The participants chanted slogans in favour of Geo and the Jang Media Group and condemned the unilateral decision of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) without even hearing the viewpoint of the largest media group of the country.

They demanded lifting of the ban on Geo TV and an end to the attacks on the vehicles carrying copies of the dailies The News and Jang. Arshad Aziz Malik, Mehmood Jan Babar, Barkatullah Marwat, Imdad Ali Qizalbash, Arsalan Khan, Niaz Muhammad, Said Rehman, Ms Sheeba Haider, Shahji and others attended the camp.

The speakers termed as unjust the Pemra decision to suspend Geo TV for 15 days and fine it Rs10 million. They said the Jang Media Group workers and editors were being harassed and intimidated and the copies of The News and Jang were being burnt.

They said the Geo TV was, in fact, already taken off air for 45 days through the use of force and threats. They said the Jang Media Group had suffered huge financial losses but had refused to bow to any undue pressure and threats as it believed in the freedom of the media.

The journalists and newspapers employees at the protest camp pledged to continue the campaign until Geo TV was allowed to operate freely and the newspapers of the Jang Group were allowed to be distributed all over Pakistan.

The News

The prominent among them were: Maqsood Butt, Zahid Zulfiqar of PPP, Abdullah Malik, Nisar Safdar Advocate, Shahida Jabeen, Iftikhar Shahid, Anjum Rasheed, Muhammad Yaseen and Khawar Naeem Hashmi. The protesters demanded removing the ban on Geo News.

Senior journalist Anjum Rasheed said Geo was the face of Pakistan and its closure was damaging the country’s image in the international community.Nisar Safdar said Geo was the voice of people and they would not let it blacked out completely at any cost.

Shahida Jabeen stated that the people would have true knowledge of situation in Karachi, if Geo had not been closed, while Zahid Zulfiqar said banning Geo meant banning freedom of expression.

Wapda union activist Tariq demanded of removing ban on Geo without any delay. The Jang Workers Union general secretary stated that they would fight for the freedom of expression till their last breathe. Senior journalist Maqsood Butt also expressed similar views.

Abdullah Malik said the closure of Geo was damaging society’s fabric. Ijaz Mirza said he was among the protesters to support the cause of Geo and wanted its immediate reopening. Hanif Goraya said a conspiracy was being hatched to shut down Geo but they would not allow the conspirators to achieve their goal.

Other senior journalists who participated in the protest included Suhail Warraich, Pervaiz Bashir, Wasif Nagi, Amer Malik, Babar Dogar, Ashar Butt, Gohar Butt, Zahid Bhatti, Ijaz Maqbool, Javed Farooqi, Rizwan Khalid, Adnan Malik, Tariq Jamal and Mian Abid.

The News

During the past few weeks, a sustained campaign has started where journalists are being threatened, harassed and attacked.

However, Pakistani journalists are not alien to attacks as since 2000, according to some reports, more than 100 journalists have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty while several others were attacked, tortured and threatened, but all such incidents could not stop the journalists from bringing the truth before the general public.

Unfortunately, the attackers/killers of journalists roam Scot free as not even a single case has reached its logical conclusion.

Of late, senior journalist Raza Rumi was attacked in Lahore in which his driver was killed. Recently, Editor Investigation, The News Ansar Abbasi, and senior journalist Ahmad Noorani received threats through various means and now Hamid Mir has been attacked.

Earlier Najam Sethi of Geo had also received several threats.

Apart from his bravery, Hamid Mir is known for his support of journalist community irrespective of the organisations they work for.

Whether it was attack on Raza Rumi or threats to Ansar Abbasi and Ahmad Noorani or the issue of journalist Jamal Tarkai, who was forced to leave Balochistan or the issue of Umar Cheema, The News journalist who was abducted, harassed and tortured in the federal capital, Hamid Mir was the loudest voice of protest on killing of Geo’s reporter Musa Khankhel Shaheed from Swat.

Not only this, the murder of Geo’s reporter Wali Khan Babar also got unprecedented coverage in Capital Talk, the television programme Hamid Mir hosts. Hamid Mir was also the frontrunner in protesting against the murder of Saleem Shahzad. It was Hamid Mir, who appeared in every protest for freedom of press and always lent his shoulders to support the journalist community. Just to quote one incident, Hamid Mir volunteered himself to appear before the judicial commission formed on National Insurance Company Limited scam in which ex-Interior Minister Rehman Malik pushed five journalists to reveal their sources, and it was because of Hamid Mir that the journalist community won a historic case and the judicial commission handed down verdict that journalists cannot be compelled to reveal their sources even in the witness box of the court.

The state of journalism in Pakistan could easily be judged from the fact that in 2013 alone, at least eleven journalists were killed while on duty. Similarly, each year around a dozen journalists sacrifice their lives which makes Pakistan the most difficult country for journalism but on the other hand, such sacrifices also blow a new zeal among the working journalists that they could not be killed but not silenced.

Hamid Mir has been supporting the Pakistan Army and its intelligence agencies for their successes, but he also has been critic of army’s political meddling. He has been highlighting the negative role of Pakistan’s military establishment in ruining the political system of the country and has been very local on the issue of missing persons especially from Balochistan which,

by no means, makes him an enemy of the State of Pakistan.

The problem with Hamid Mir is that he cannot remain silent on negative role of intelligence agencies that is why he was threatened by a few elements in the agencies which he conveyed to his friends and family.

The attackers of Hamid Mir should keep it in mind that the issue never settles by silencing the messenger but by understanding the message.

Since Pakistan’s birth, there have remained Hamid Mirs in media who would never bow before the wrongs and this legacy continues.

“Hamid Mir had strongly protested against attacks on Saleem Shehzad, Umar Cheema, Raza Rumi, Wali Babar, Musa Khankhel and threats to Sethi, Abbasi, Noorani and others”

The News