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

Protesting journalists led by President of Khyber Union of Journalists (KhUJ) Nisar Mehmood, Vice President Mohammad Naeem and President Peshawar Press Club Nasir Hussain severely criticised use of force against on duty journalists.

Holding banners and placards, they said that this has now become a routine and the government should take steps for journalists’ protection immediately.

No ban on media would be accepted because media freedom has been achieved after a long struggle. They demanded of the government to announce a judicial commission for probing into Islamabad incident and those found guilty must be booked and punished exemplary. Later the protesting journalists dispersed peacefully.

The nation

Jamshed Baghwan, as I know him for the past 15 years, is a brave and self-made journalist. He is among those who have balanced views and encourage unbiased reporting. He researches thoroughly, making sure never to air any kind of story without multiple credibility checks. He is a strictly professional journalist and is liked by everyone inside his community, which is why he remains the general-secretary of the Peshawar Press Club and the vice president of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists. While being committed to ethics, he maintains friendly relations with his fellow journalists at the Express News bureau in Peshawar.

If Baghwan can be attacked, so can other journalists in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Its no wonder that Amnesty International deemed Pakistan to be the most dangerous place for journalists. Pakistani journalists face multiple threats from all sides. They are not free to think freely and write freely. He/she is always threatened, always feeling stifled and stressed.

In the past eight years, I have seen 13 journalists being killed in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. Majority of the journalists in this area have imposed self-censorship. Many are found saying that their lives are more precious than media ethics.
Journalists get no support from the federal or provincial authorities. The injured get no monetary compensation. Families of those dead are not extended any support either.

The other sad side of his story is the rivalry and jealousy between media organisations. While reporting Baghwan’s attack, his name and his media group’s name was not even mentioned in the bulletins. When Hamid Mir was attacked, there was country-wide outrage. But when Baghwan was attacked, that too for the third time, his predicament was largely under-reported and even ignored. He was ignored like those dozens of journalists who lose their lives or are paralysed in FATA and Balochistan, as if they are not citizens of the state, but some unwanted aliens.

Express Tribune

Several journalists from the print and electronic media, political workers, members of the civil society, artistes and trade union representatives visited the camp being arranged by the Khyber Union of Journalists and Peshawar Press Club jointly. The participants flayed the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) for taking Geo TV channel off air for 15 days.

Those present at the camp asked the government to lift the curbs on the largest media group of the country. The protesting journalists also asked the government to provide protection to Jang Media Group workers and its installations.

The speakers flayed the attacks on senior anchorperson Hamid Mir and Resident Editor of Jang in Multan, Zafar Aheer. They resented attacks of vehicles carrying thousands of copies of The News and Jang.

President Khyber Union of Journalists Nisar Mehmood, former KhUJ president Arshad Aziz Malik, Farmanullah Jan, Shamim Shahid, Mehmood Jan Babar, Lala Aftab Ahmad, Khalid Kheshgi, Tauseef-ur-Rehman, Tahir Hussain, Arsalan Khan, Gohar Ali, Abdur Rehman, Adeel Saeed, Muhammad Fayyaz Khalil, Muhammad Munir, Shah Faisal, Azeem Khan and others were among the participants.

A nationalist politician, Dr Said Alam Mehsud, visited the camp along with other colleagues to express solidarity with the journalist community. Recording his views, he said the attempts to gag the free media were detestable. He praised the Jang Media Group for searching for and presenting the truth. He said an independent media was a must in a democratic society. A budding artiste Mudasir Zaman also participated in the protest camp by representing singers and artiste community.

The News

Several journalists from the print and electronic media, members of the civil society, political leaders and trade union representatives visited the camp being arranged by the Khyber Union of Journalists.

The participants of the camp were critical of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) for its decision to suspend the transmission of the most popular TV channel of the country for 15 days.

Those present at the camp asked the government to lift the curbs on the largest media group of the country. They resented the vilification campaign against the Geo TV channel. The protesting journalists asked the government to provide protection to Jang Media Group workers and its installations.

The speakers flayed the attacks on senior journalist Hamid Mir and Resident Editor of Jang in Multan, Zafar Aheer. They resented attacks of vehicles carrying thousands of copies of The News and Jang. They expressed concern over filing of cases against Jang Media Group.

President Khyber Union of Journalists Nisar Mehmood, President of Peshawar Press Club Nasir Hussain, former KhUJ president Arshad Aziz Malik, senior journalist Syed Bukhar Shah, Vice-President Farmanullah Jan, Khyber Photojournalists Association President Sajjad Khayal, Mehmood Jan Babar, Barkatullah Marwat, Sultan Siddiqui, Shah Jehan, Riaz Khan Daudzai, Muhammad Nauman, Sardar Imdad Qizalbash, Muhammad Fayyaz Khalil, Muhammad Munir, Ehtesham Toru, Shah Faisal and others were among the participants.

The protesting journalists warned of launching a countrywide protest campaign on the call of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists if the restrictions on Geo News were not lifted as it was a matter of the freedom of expression.

The News

The participants chanted slogans in favour of Geo and the Jang 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.

Besides others, senior journalist Rahimullah Yusufzai, Khyber Union of Journalists (KhUJ) President Nisar Mehmood, Peshawar Press Club President Nasir Hussain, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Arbab Khizer Hayat. Property Association president Mazhar Wakil Durrani, former leader of the PTI lawyers wing Hidayatullah Khan, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists vice-president Shamim Shahid, daily Jang Peshawar editor Arshad Aziz Malik and bureau chief of Geo TV in Peshawar Mehmud Jan Baber attended the camp.

The speakers on the occasion termed as unjust the Pemra decision to ban Geo TV for 15 days and impose fine of Rs10 million against it. They said the Jang Group workers and editors were being harassed and intimidated and the copies of The News and Jang were being burnt. They said that the Geo TV was, in fact, already put off air for 45 days through the use of force and threats. They said the Jang Group had suffered huge financial losses, but it had refused to bow to any undue pressure and threats as it believed in the freedom of the media.

They wondered what would happen after 15 days if the Geo TV still couldn’t telecast its programmes independently. The journalists and newspapers employees at the protest camp pledged to continue their 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 protestors, who came out from the Peshawar Press Club in a procession, were led by Khyber Union of Journalists (KhUJ) President Nisar Mahmood and Peshawar Press Club President Nasir Hussain. The protesters were holding banners and placards demanding protection to mediapersons and the arrest of the attackers.

Addressing the protesting journalists, the KhUJ president condemned the attack on the residence of Jamshed Baghwan, bureau chief of a private television channel, and described it an attempt to gag voice of the journalists. He said it was not the first incident but over 100 journalists had lost their lives in the line of duty across the country.

“The attackers, whoever they may be, cannot suppress our voice through such mean tactics because journalists are ready to render sacrifices for fulfilling their professional duties at all costs without succumbing to any pressure,” he said.The press club president said it was duty of the government to hold an inquiry into the matter and unveil the offenders involved in the terrorist act.

He said that targeting the journalists was meant to silence voice of the society. He said that it was the second attack on the journalist as previously an improvised explosive device had been recovered from the locality.

A large number of media people attended the protest and chanted slogans seeking protection to the journalists. Former provincial minister and ANP leader Mian Iftikhar Hussain also visited the Press Club to express solidarity with the journalists and condemn the attack on Jamshed Baghwan’s house.

The News

Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan had claimed the responsibility for that while no one has yet claimed the responsibility for the second attack. This is the sixth attack on same media group in 2013-14.

Two masked men riding on a motorcycle threw a hand grenade at the main gate of journalist’s house which went off with a loud bang damaging the main gate of the house. Journalist and his family members remained unhurt.

Pakistan federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) General Secretary Amin Yousuf, Khyber Union of Journalists (KhUJ) President Nisar Mahmood, Peshawar Press Club (PPC) and Crimes and Terrorism Journalists Forum President Javed Aziz Khan condemned the attack on Baghwan and other journalists across the country. They demanded the federal and provincial governments to properly probe the threats and attacks and provide security to the media persons.

PFUJ and KhUJ staged protest demonstration today April 7 at 1 pm outside the Peshawar Press Club.

Pakistan Press Foundation

The main gate of the house was damaged in the attack which happened just over two weeks after an explosive device was found and subsequently defused by the Bomb Disposal Squad near Baghwan’s house.

Around 6:25am two masked men riding on a motorcycle threw a hand grenade at the main gate of Baghwan’s house which went off with a loud bang.

According to the police, it was a China-made grenade. “We’ve registered an FIR on the complaint of Jamshed Baghwan,” an official of the Yakatot police station told The Express Tribune.

Talking about the 2kg device found on March 19 outside Baghwan’s house, he said that it was defused because it was spotted by the family on time.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Minister for Industries Shaukat Ali Yousafzai condemned the attack and ordered investigation.

Baghwan is a senior journalist and the attack on his house is, in fact, an attack on free media, Yousafzai said. It’s the government responsibility to protect journalists, he added and directed the city police chief to consult media persons and chalk out a security plan for them.

Meanwhile, the Khyber Union of Journalists (KhUJ) condemned the attack and demanded thorough investigation.

KhUJ President Nisar Mehmood and General Secretary Tariq Afaq said Baghwan is a senior journalist and such attacks would not be tolerated. The government should fulfill its responsibility to protect journalists.

The KhUJ will stage a demonstration outside the Peshawar Press Club at 1pm on Monday to protest against the attack.

Express Tribune