‘Editors for Safety’, an organisation of newspaper editors and heads of television channels working for safety and security of journalists, has expressed it’s serious concern on a series of attacks on journalists and television crews in different cities by supporters of some religious organisations during today’s protest rallies.

Reports from Lahore, Karachi, Hyderabad and some other cities say protesters attacked office of a TV station, attacked DSNG (outdoor broadcast) vans, pelted stones at press clubs, and manhandled journalists.

‘Editors for Safety’ Chairman , while condemning these attacks, has said that neither the government nor the protesters can force any news outlet to shape the news coverage of any event in accordance with their wishes.

‘Editors for Safety’ has called upon the federal Minister for Interior and the provincial governments to provide maximum security to media teams and media houses, and to take action against those responsible for these attacks.

Pakistan Press Foundation

ISLAMABAD: Interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has expressed displeasure over the performance of the government functionaries who, according to him, are not delivering to the optimum level.

“Government functionaries are not ready to work and apparently everyone seems to be failing in the country,” the minister remarked while addressing a meeting of the city administration officials and stakeholders regarding security issues of media houses, markets, educational institutes and traders at the Punjab House here on Thursday.

One can’t absolve himself of his responsibilities by deploying mere two to three security guards at the gates of buildings as the terrorists are highly trained and well equipped.

There should be the deployment of a police official equipped with a sub-machine gun (SMG) on the rooftop of a media house who could respond swiftly to any terrorist act.

He also expressed his annoyance at the deadline of 15 days given by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to 359 schools for moving out of the residential areas putting the school owners and students in problems.

He suggested that the government schools buildings may be shared with private schools on rent. And the income generated on account of rent may be used to improve the condition of the government schools.

While responding to a suggestion regarding the security of media houses, he said a standard operating procedure (SOP) is on the cards in this connection.

Responding to another point that media houses should be informed about any threat to them, he said most of the intelligence regarding threat turns out to be a hoax as they are aired to spread panic and fear.

“I will share threats with the departments which have the mandate to respond to any as such threats,” he said.

Khan said that a bullet fire near a women college at Rawalpindi created such a panic and chaos.

Khan said he has issued orders to the security agencies to conduct an inquiry what was done to defuse the tension. He said a superintendent of police will be appointed as a focal person regarding the security of media houses, markets and schools. He said the automatic weapons’ licences for the media houses’ security would be issued.

While responding to the grievances of citizens they face at security checkpoints at Red-Zone, he said microchips installation is being considered at the vehicles which daily visit the area to be exempted from standing in the queue for security purposes. Moreover, he agreed that there would be no traffic police official at any checkpoints for checking documents of vehicles which create problems for motorists.

He asked the traffic police to refrain from giving challans to the common man on minor violations. However, he said, any influential person who violates traffic rules must be issued a ticket.

He also said 150 more mobiles would be handed over to the police and the rangers next month to enhance security in the city.

He said for the security of markets barriers may also be erected which will remain open and could be closed in case of emergency situation.

Regarding the security of markets and schools, he said entry points will be monitored by the law enforcing agencies to stop any terrorist activity. He also maintained that Islamabad is a high profile target regarding terrorist activities and Safe City Project will give a solution to security related issues.

Express Tribune

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The News: Ensure foolproof security of media houses, campuses: Nisar

The Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR) followed suit by regretting defamation of a national security institution without any solid proof.

Had he named any politician or a political party, heavens would have fallen with this particular section demanding the resignation of the accused from the public office to face investigation.

Blaming the political class for everything wrong happening under the sun is a routine matter. Allegations against them make the headlines without any fear of reprisal. Their pictures are flashed, declaring them culprits without investigation.

Saturday was a different day. Amir Mir shared on air the concerns of his brother Hamid Mir who had been under threat and recorded his message to the family for naming the institution and individuals he suspected in case of an attack on him.

No sooner had his message been relayed than a particular group started anti-Hamid Mir and anti-Geo war on the social media that was fully aided by a TV channel where a few former army men, including General (R) Amjad, were engaged in a marathon talk. Majority of the social media users, however, supported the victim journalist Hamid Mir and Geo TV.

Journalistic and non-journalistic bodies also strongly expressed solidarity with Hamid Mir and Geo TV. But the particular group started attacking Hamid Mir and Geo TV declaring them in a traditional way the agents of RAW. They didn’t care to think that why the victim journalist was feeling threatened by the ISI — the most feared agency facing several allegations of attacks on journalists.

Hamid Mir is an incredibly brave person and his family is not scared either. A typical reaction in event of such a tragic incident could have been an uneasy silence. This was a different case, putting the Geo TV management in an awkward situation. Besides journalist colleagues of Hamid Mir within and outside the Group, his family was ready to stage a protest in case Hamid Mir’s recorded message had not been aired.

On the other hand, the Editorial Board and management were under pressure from the ISI friends and sympathisers not to name the top spy agency and its chief. However, Hamid Mir’s colleagues within and outside the Group and his family prevailed as Geo TV decided to side with its employee. According to the ethics of journalism, the ISPR’s point of view was also constantly aired.

Every choice has its price. Attacks on Geo management on the social media and tamed TV channels are in progress.

Here comes a question: Has the ISI ever thought about the reason for allegations thrown on it? Hamid Mir is fortunate to have survived attempt and would spill the beans once he gets back to work. What about Saleem Shehzad? Didn’t he allege the ISI for a possible attack on him that eventually took his life?

Same goes with the Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah. He was tortured and his head and eyebrows were shaved off in 2003. Just a couple of days ago, he disclosed in a talk show on a channel that he was brutalised by the then Maj. Khalid Pervez, who was in charge of ISI directorate in Faisalabad. Same goes in my case.

I had also held the ISI responsible for kidnapping and torturing me. A judicial commission constituted to investigate the incident also endorsed my point saying that involvement of agencies could not be ruled out. Same was the conclusion of judicial commission in Saleem Shehzad case.

The ISI can’t repair its image just by muzzling the media and issuing a press release through the ISPR. It is time for introspection. The guardians of this institution must think why the citizens of Pakistan feel so convinced and compelled to name it for hounding and harassment. It can come out clean by establishing its innocence that is possible only through apprehending the attackers if they don’t belong to it. Fingers will continue to be raised at the agency unless that is done.

The News

Several journalists and civil society representatives gathered in front of the Lahore Press Club on Sunday. They held banners carrying slogans like Ban Media Coverage of Terrorists Collectively; Freedom of Expression Under Threat; and Attack on One Attack on All. Shouts of “Not scared of threats!” rang through the crowd of protesters. They chanted slogans and vowed to continue fighting for freedom of the press. “Stop threatening journalists, we want peace,” the participants said in unison.

Hussain Naqi said the government must realise that it is not only the journalists’ freedoms on the line, “it’s all of us…it’s the state on the line”. He said it was time the nation got together and rejected terrorists once and for all. Pakistan achieved independence through the struggle and sacrifices of reporters, photojournalists and editors…the government of the Punjab must provide them security.
“The struggle for the freedom of press in the subcontinent is more than 150 years old…it will continue,” he said.

“Militant groups can’t stop us from doing our duties as journalists. Journalism is our vocation and I strongly condemn the threats to Imtiaz Alam,” said Najam Sethi. “We must forget personal differences and professional rivalries and work together for the freedom of press.”

Lahore Press Club secretary Shahbaz Mian said, “Once again, cowardly terrorists and militants scared of the pen and the camera have threatened Imtiaz Alam. A few days ago, they attacked our fellow journalist Raza Rumi. They are ganging up against liberal and progressive journalists…now all of them are on their hit list. But we will remain united and won’t surrender.”

Journalist Ahmed Waleed said Pakistan was one of the most dangerous countries for journalists to be in. “We are here to express solidarity with journalists who are threatened but continue doing their job.”

This is so uncivilised, columnist Kamran Shafi said, “Terrorists should agree to a dialogue with media representatives. They can try to convince us, or write about their views instead of resorting to threats. But if they want to kill us, so be it, we are not scared.”

Fawad Chaudhry, media adviser to the Pakistan Peoples Party chairman, said, “If we want to make Pakistan a liberal and progressive country, we have to work for it together. On behalf of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and the PPP, I strongly condemn the terrorists’ threats to journalist and SAFMA Secretary General Imtiaz Alam.”

Chaudhry said Zardari and he had also received threats. “We are all threatened on a daily basis but we will continue to work for a progressive Pakistan and will not stop till we reach our destiny.”

Punjab Union of Journalists president Wasim Farooq, Lahore Press Club president Arshad Ansari and Riaz Durrani of Jamat-i-Ulema Islam also spoke at the occasion and urged the government to provide security to journalists.

Express Tribune

In the resolution passed on Friday, journalists and other media representatives said that intolerance for diverse points of views had a bearing on media freedom and quality journalism. They said that edicts and threats continue to be hurled at the media and media persons, among them Alam, who also anchors a talk show on a private news channel.

“The targeted attacks and death threats are meant to create fear among the democratic intelligentsia and the media persons. It is more disturbing that the state is failing in its responsibility to protect citizens and its writ.”

Despite UN Security Council Resolution 1738 on the safety of journalists and several international resolutions on the protection of journalists, lives continue to have been lost in Pakistan in the course of journalists doing their jobs, they said in a statement.

“Last year, 10 journalists have been killed in connection with their work in Pakistan. Courtesy these killings, Pakistan has made it to the shameful club of the world’s five deadliest countries for the media,” the statement read.

“We urge the media associations to take joint stand on acts of violation of and threats to media rights and freedom of expression. Attack on one should be taken as an attack on all. It’s time that the state and the government of Pakistan fulfilled their responsibility to their citizens protecting their fundamental rights of freedom of information and freedom of expression guaranteed in the constitution.”

From: Sarmad Ali, Dr Jabbar Khattak, Arif Nizami, Imtiaz Faran, Irfan Saeed, Irshad Mastoi, Raza Rehman, Afzal Butt, Shehryar Khan, Tariq Chaudhary, Ali Raza Alvi, Arshad Ansari, Shahbaz Mian, Anjum Rashid, Khalid Chaudhary, Shafqat Mahmood, Dr Akmal Hussain, I A Rehman, M. Ziauddin, Zahid Hussain, Nazir Leghari, Husain Naqi, Aamir Mahmood, Tahir Rathore, Khalid Farooqi, Ayaz Khan, Shahzada Zulfiqar, Nusrat Javeed, Agha Nasir, Iftikhar Ahmed, Babar Ayaz, Shamim Shahid, Saleem Shahid, Ghazi Salahuddin, Mujahid Barelvi, Irfana Mallah, Jehangeer Aslam, Ghulam Nabi Chandio, Syed Mumtaz Shah, Lala Asad, Khalid Khokhar, Fayyaz Naich, Amer Sindhu, Shoaib Adil, Saida Fazal, Munnoo Bhai, Ibrahim Shirwani, Asma Shirazi, Afzal Khan, Mustansar Javed, Rana Qaisar, Shamsul Islam Naz, Khushnood Ali Khan, Mehmal Sarfaraz, Khaled Ahmed, Allama Sidddiq Azhar, Dr Fauzia Naeem Khan, Waqar Mustafa, Ahmad Waleed, Tayyeba Bukhari, Sirmed Manzoor, Aaliya Shah, Kahkashan Farooq, Agha Iqrar Haroon, Qasim, Shahbaz Anwar Khan, Mushtaq Soofi, Afaq Syed, Abbas Rashid, Husain Naqi, Saida Fazal, Sami Abrahim, Farah Warraich, Arif Waqar, Khalid Qayyum, Latif Chaudhary, Shahzada Zulfiqar, Ahmad Shafiq, Imran Umar, Naeem Qaisar, Eijaz Bajwa, Farrukh Asef, Mahmood Iqbal, Qasim Saeed, Waseem Niaz, Imtiazul Haq.

(Daily Times endorses the above statement and fully stands in solidarity with all our media colleagues under threat – Rashed Rahman, Editor.)

Daily Times

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.

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