KARACHI: The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) hosted a reception for the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), Karachi Press Club and Karachi Union of Journalists to express its gratitude and hail their enthusiastic participation in its recent protest rally in front of the Sindh Assembly building in Karachi against payment of outstanding dues to newspapers in Sindh through ill reputed and defaulter advertising agencies facing NAB cases instead of direct payment to newspapers.

Those participated among a large number of journalists were Ahmad Khan Malik, G M Jamali, Faheem Siddiqui, Imtiaz Faran, Sohail Afzal, Ajiz Jamali, Saeed Sarbazi, Tariq Abul Hassan, Hassan Abbas, Hamidur Rehman and Sohail Jan Baloch.

Also present from CPNE were Aijazul Haq, Ghulam Nabi Chandio, Tahir Najmi, Maqsood Yousufi, Abdul Khalique Ali, Abdul Rahman Mangrio, Sher Muhammad, Khawar Adnan Malik, Bashir Ahmad Memon, Hamid Hussain Abidi, Mian Tariq Javed, Usman Arab Sati, Saeed Khawar, Muhammad Tahir, Anwar Sajidi, Aamir Khattak, Hasina Jatoi and Hamida Ghanghro and several other editors.

Speaking on the occasion CPNE Secretary General Dr Jabbar Khattak expressed his gratitude to office bearers and members of joint action committee of the PFUJ, Karachi Press Club and Karachi Union of Journalists for their participation in the protest rally and said that the mutual solidarity of journalists organisations had stimulated the Sindh government to step up taking swift line of action towards immediate direct payment of outstanding dues to the newspapers.

He added that editors were playing the role of a bridge between the newspapers management and journalists. Dr Jabbar Khattak said that payment of salaries in time to media employees and other workers would be ensured after direct payments to the newspapers of Sindh adding that the protest rally was aimed at keeping in view the financial problem of the journalists and employees of the media organisations.

Ahmad Khan Malik, President of Karachi Press Club, said that despite attack on Karachi Press Club and non-payment of outstanding dues to the newspapers, the solidarity of all the media organisations and media workers demonstrated in the rally would strengthen their vigorous struggle to protect the fourth pillar of the state.

PFUJ President G M Jamali stressed the need for immediate payment of salaries to journalists and media employees after direct payment of outstanding dues was made by the Sindh government to the newspapers as he said the media employees were in the grip of mental torture, starvation and financial crisis due to non payment of their salaries.

PFUJ Secretary General Sohail Afzal was of the opinion that all the stakeholders of media could resolve their problems through mutual understanding and cooperation.

Karachi Union of Journalists General Secretary Faheem Siddiqui suggested that if the CPNE to play its role to settle disputes and resolve issues between the media management and employees, the media organisations would wholeheartedly support the CPNE as he said problems of media could be resolved through mutual solidarity and unity.

Maqsood Yousufi, the Karachi Press Club General Secretary and Member CPNE Standing Committee in his speech said that of late the rally proved as preface to the demonstration of unity of all media stakeholders. He was of the view of joint line of action of all the media stakeholders. Later, a sumptuous lunch was served for the participants.

The News

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Dawn: PFUJ assails sacking of 500 workers

KARACHI: Journalist community on Friday staged the sit-in outside Governor’s House to protest against the intrusion of security men in plain clothes in the Karachi Press Club (KPC) and demanded of the authorities to bring the culprits to book.

It is pertinent to mention here that number of gunmen in plainclothes reached the KPC in various expensive vehicles and barged into club late on Thursday. Witnesses said that the gunmen created harassment and panic among the journalists present at the time of raid.

Witnesses said that armed men roaming in different parts of club and examined different portions of the club including kitchen, upper floor of the building and sports hall. The gunmen were also captured the videos of club and also taken the pictures of club. When the journalists asked the gunmen about their identities and cause behind such action but personnel in plainclothes remains tide lips and failed to justify action.

They said that gunmen completed their operation and managed to flee without giving any reason behind such the raid. Witnesses said that gunmen apparently associated with some security agency used highly expensive vehicles and also a police mobile. The KPC administration immediately informed to the concern authorities and demanded an immediate inquiry.

On Friday, a condemnation reference was also held at the Karachi Press Club before the rally in which the KPC President Ahmed Malik and General Secretary Maqsood Yousufi demanded of the provincial and federal authorities to bring those involved in the incident to book.

They said that it was unprecedented in the history of the press club that armed security men would enter its premises and harass the journalist community. “Such acts undermine the government claims of independent media and should be thoroughly investigated,” they demanded.

Later, a rally was taken out from the Karachi Press Club and a sit-in was staged at the Governor’s House.

Meanwhile, a delegation of the KPC led by KPC President Ahmed Malik and General Secretary Maqsood Yousufi met with Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, who assured of his full cooperation to bring those involved in the incident to book.

The governor said that he would take up the issue with Prime Minister Imran Khan and action would be taken against anyone involved in the incident. The KPC office bearers announced to end their sit-in after the assurances and said that they would not tolerate any attack on the media.

“We are ending our sit-in after assurances from the governor and a progress report of the incident will be conveyed to us soon, they said.

Furthermore, the provincial government has termed the incident a misunderstanding. Initial investigation has revealed that the action on KPC was conducted due to the confusion as the GSM locator traced incorrect location said that Adviser to Chief Minister Murtaza Wahab adding that provincial rulers were standing by journalist and always ready to the address the matters of journalists.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has strongly condemned the entry of armed people into the premises of the press club and demanded of the provincial government of Sindh to set up a high level inquiry to investigate the incident.“The trespassing of the press club by armed people who apparently belonged to some security agency appears to be an attempt to harass the media a joint statement issued by PFUJ President Afzal Butt and Secretary General Ayub Jan Sarhandi said on Friday.

“Let the PFUJ make it very clear to such elements that journalists cannot and will not be cowed down by such tactics aimed at controlling the media,” the statement said.

The PFUJ leaders said that the successive governments in Pakistan have tried to control media through one way or the other but the journalists have successfully thwarted all such efforts.

“If such elements or any institution considers that the journalists will back out from their struggle for a free media and right to expression, they are sadly mistaken,” the statement said. “Let it be very clear to all that journalists will not be brow beaten and continue to resist all such actions aimed at curbing the freedom of expression in the country.

The Nation

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Dawn: Journalists vow to ‘resist attempts to harass’ media after KPC incident

Dawn: KPC incursion

THE Pakistani media’s tragic flaw is that rather than cover the story, it is too often part of the story. So it is again with regards to media coverage of last week’s TLP protests. All stakeholders — the government, the protesters, the public — had strong opinions on how the media should cover the mayhem. And as often happens, all stakeholders were disappointed.

As the protests gained momentum, the de facto media blackout was observed. Those who value press freedom find blackouts discomfiting; they are after all a form of censorship. They invite the kind of outrage that rightfully followed the decision to ban TV broadcasts and block social media outlets during the Faizabad episode in 2017.

But absolutism falters when people incite murder, violence, civil disobedience. Even those who abhor censorship concede that broadcasting trouble spurs more trouble. Excessive media coverage of provocative statements and protests can lead to even more widespread unrest. In this case, media regulation would have also prevented coverage of some protest leaders’ incendiary statements.There is little sympathy for the media’s dilemmas.

But what about accountability to the public? Such a blackout means that citizens remain uninformed about the nature, scale and location of protests, impacting free movement and public safety. Moreover, there is now scant public record of a three-day period of nationwide vandalism. Citizens seeking compensation for loss of property will sadly find no evidence to back their claims in media reports.

In such sensitive situations, the media’s knee-jerk response is to follow the government’s lead. But what are outlets to do when the government’s communications on a tense situation are more inept than those of the agitators? Consider how the PTI’s federal and public representatives offered contradictory statements on negotiations, while the TLP spokespeople emerged as more accurate sources of information.

These conundrums left the media in the crosshairs of a conflicted public. Some wanted the media to block anti-state voices; others derided the media for failing to cover the protest leaders’ statements, deeming it part of a wider conspiracy. Still others took matters into their own hands, with Pakistani Twitter users rallying the social media platform to ban Khadim Hussain Rizvi’s handle.

Of course, there is little sympathy for the media’s dilemmas. The industry is still accused of irresponsible coverage and debate and, because of this, of being complicit in the targeting of some political personalities. Social media users were also quick to point out that channels that last week refused to air TLP statements were happy to echo the party’s rallying cry and glorify its leadership during the Faizabad sit-in and in the run-up to elections as part of a wider effort to undermine the PML-N.

The media’s about-turns on the party, Aasia Bibi and the blasphemy laws more broadly have several drivers. A main one is the fear factor — media personnel know that few other issues can spark death threats and mob violence as rapidly, and prefer to err on the side of caution.

Another driver is the fact that the industry, ultimately, also comprises several individuals whose reports reflect their ideological positions. The Supreme Court verdict in the Aasia Bibi case has been divisive, and emotions run high on both sides. The media is not isolated from the society on which it reports, and reflects the same schisms as the public.

These drivers explain why the debate has been around how the media covered the protests, and not the verdict itself. Few have asked why the media didn’t explain the verdict’s legal argumentation or defend its constitutionality. In today’s Pakistan, no one even expects this of the fourth estate. There is no place for such wishful, naive thinking.

It is worth noting that good ol’ fashioned responsible journalism — the type that strives towards objectivity and impartiality, that is fact-checked and proportionate to the news value of the development, that adheres to existing media regulation — would have saved the media from its dilemmas. It is possible to cover protests in a way that does not contribute to mayhem, and that holds all stakeholders accountable. But we already know that our media does not do responsible journalism.

And we also know that our media is beholden to higher powers. Its vagaries are those of the state institutions that dictate its coverage. The failings of reportage are ultimately a reflection of the failings of state policies.

And so it is that the major story emanating from last week’s protests was about protesters stealing bananas from a child’s cart. This is what media coverage looks like when the fourth estate cannot engage in the politics and ideology inherent to a story. With hints of civil unrest in the air, with extremists pitted against all state institutions, all we get is a bunch of bananas.

Dawn

ISLAMABAD: Journalists of Rawalpindi and Islamabad continued their protest for a second day on Wednesday by setting up a pakora stall in front of the Parliament House to protest termination of services of journalists and workers by different media organisations.

Nuzhat Pathan, a Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf MNA from Sindh, visited the camp and held out an assurance to the protesters that she would take up the matter in the National Assembly.

The PTI leader said strong media was necessary for a strong country and promotion of democratic values.

Ms Pathan regretted the retrenchment of journalists and workers and non-payment of salaries to those media workers who were still working in some organisations and said that such a situation would weaken an important pillar of the state.

PPP leader Akhunzada Chattan expressed solidarity with media workers by purchasing pakoras from the camp and said he and his party had always stood for freedom of expression and free media.

The protesters were led by Afzal Butt, president of his own faction of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), and leaders of the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Butt said journalists were being sacked cruelly and this move of media organisations had created serious economic problems for media workers. He urged the government to address the issue.

Television anchor Saleem Safi suggested that managements of TV channels should cut salaries of anchors instead of sacking low-paid employees.

Dawn

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Tuesday that his party would stand by journalists and continue to struggle against the injustices being committed by the government.

“Whatever your economic policy, it is the responsibility of the government to provide financial security to the public by ensuring jobs for them,” he said while talking to the media during his visit to a protest camp set up by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ)-Afzal Butt group outside Parliament House.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari said that as an opposition party the PPP would continue to raise its voice against “non-serious and unjust” policies of the government.

Says govt involved in ‘economic murder’ of media workers; MQM team also visits protest camp

“We request you to support us,” he urged media personnel. “Your issues are our issues — all your issues are our issues. Whenever there has been injustice with media persons, the PPP has stood with them,” he said, reca­lling his mother Benazir Bhutto’s frequent visits to press clubs and interaction with journalists.

Whenever they faced censorship, Benazir Bhutto extended support to the media, he said. Now the media was facing censorship as well as financial woes, he added.

“The government must provide relief to the people because they [the leadership of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf] have made tall promises of generating 10 million jobs. Not only media persons, but people belonging to other professions have also started suffering due to flawed policies of the government,” the PPP chairman said. “Wherever we go, we meet people protesting against the government.”

He said that even government employees were protesting against the policies of the new government.

“The government does not have to take any major step [to raise funds to provide relief to the people] as they are taking foreign loans. They have even presented a budget but they fail whenever it is a matter of relief for the general public.

“There are various options and several ways [to provide relief to people] but… the government has no intention of taking care of the working and middle classes and protect their interests,” Mr Bilawal-Bhutto said.

He added: “The finance minister only issues statements that he wants to seek input from the opposition [on different issues] but he does not even meet us. They are doing only what they want to do.”

He lambasted the PTI government policies, saying the “flag-bearers of change” had already dropped an ‘inflation bomb’ on the people in the form of a “mini-budget” and were now involved in “economic murder of journalists and media workers”.

He said that the PPP had long-standing relations with the journalist fraternity. “Whenever there has been any injustice in this country, the PPP and the journalists have launched a joint struggle against it whether it was the martial law of General Zia or the military regime of Gen Pervaiz Musharraf,” he added.

MQM visit

A delegation of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), including MNA Iqbal Muhammad Khan, also visited the protest camp and expressed solidarity with the journalists.

Speaking on the occasion, Afzal Butt, the president of his own faction of the PFUJ, said the objective of the protest was to voice the grievances of the journalist fraternity and not to launch any movement against the government.

He asked the government to intervene and stop “large-scale downsizing” in media houses, which had badly affected the families of the journalists and media workers.

Dawn

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Business Recorder: Bilawal asks government to ensure job security of media workers

LAHORE: The Joint Action Committee of journalists and media workers on Monday staged demonstrations at Charing Cross and simultaneously on the stairs of the Punjab Assembly building against lay-offs and salary cuts.

A large number of newsmen, cameramen, photojournalists and media workers as well as lawyers and civil society members participated in the protest and chanted slogans against their employers.

JAC convener Azam Chaudhry, members Arshad Ansari, Naeem Hanif, Faisal Durrani, Ziaullah Niazi as well as senior journalists Rana Muhammad Azeem, Raja Riaz, anchors Mubashir Luqman and Arif Hameed Bhatti addressed the protesters. Speakers demanded that the government conduct audit of media houses, explaining the advertisements’ payments as well as taxes paid.

Punjab Information Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan, speaking on the floor of the house as well as at the demonstration, asserted that the government had neither cut any advertisement nor reduced advertisement rates during its [so far] two-month tenure. He said advertisements were being issued to newspapers as well as news channels without any interruption.

“It is strongly condemnable, if owners of media houses are sacking and cutting salaries of journalists and media workers on the pretext of suspension of advertisements,” the information minister said.

The minister also invited the JAC members at DGPR on Tuesday (today) 11am to show them the record of government advertisements issued to newspapers and channels during the last two months.

The minister said a code of conduct with regard to the media workers was being prepared, which would eventually be passed by the Punjab Assembly.

According to the code of conduct, he said, any complaint by a journalist or media worker about non-payment of salaries for two or more months would empower the DGPR to suspend advertisements for those media houses. He said the advertisements would be restored only after the complainant would withdraw complaint for being satisfied with the media organisation.

JAC convener Azam Chaudhry said the demonstration marked the beginning of a protest movement and all journalists and media workers bodies would continue to hold protests and also besiege the media houses, owners’ offices as well as their residences.

He announced that the journalists and media workers would hold a sit-in outside Lahore Press Club on a daily basis from Wednesday (tomorrow) at 4pm.

Dawn

ISLAMABAD: Condemning the murder of Sohail Khan, a journalist from Haripur in Hazara of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists’ (PFUJ) Afzal Butt group has announced to observe protest today (Thursday) across the country.

“We strongly condemn the killing of Sohail Khan and call upon the KP government to immediately arrest the culprits,” said a joint statement issued by PFUJ president Afzal Butt and secretary general Ayub Jan Sarhandi.

Mr Khan was a reporter of daily K2 and he was allegedly killed by members of drug mafia for publishing a news story against their activities. “We have been told that Mr Sohail was threatened of dire consequences by the drug mafia and he had reported these threats to the police as well,” the statement said. The PFUJ expressed disappointment that no protection was provided to the journalist even after his complaint.

The PFUJ leaders said that this was the second murder of a journalist in Haripur within a year.

Last year, Bakhsheesh Elahi — a reporter of daily K2 — was murdered in Haripur. People involved in the murder have so far not been arrested. “Failure to arrest the murderers of Bakhsheesh Elahi speaks volumes about the inefficiency of the KPK police,” the statement said.

The PFUJ directed its affiliated unions across the country to hold protests at press clubs or union offices and hoist black flags to condemn the murder of Sohail Khan.

Meanwhile, the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) also announced to observe a black day on Thursday. Their protest demonstration will be held at 2.30pm at the National Press Club (NPC).

Earlier, Asia Programme coordinator of Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) Steven Butler held a meeting with members of journalists’ union groups.

The delegation was led by PFUJ president Afzal Butt and RIUJ president Mubarak Zeb.

Mr Butler was briefed on issues being faced by media personnel in Pakistan, including threats faced by journalists. He was also informed about financial woes of media workers due to delay in payment of salaries and layoffs.

Dawn

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Dawn: Suspects at large as slain journalist laid to rest in Haripur

Employees of Radio Pakistan on Monday held a peaceful demonstration in Islamabad and other Units of the organization across the country in protest against the decision of the government to lease out Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation Headquarters building.

Employees of all the wings of the national broadcaster participated in the demonstrations and demanded the government to withdraw its decision.

They said Radio Pakistan is a historical institution projecting the soft image of the country across the world.

Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain also held talks with the representatives of Radio Pakistan’s protesting employees regarding the Ministry’s proposal to give building of Radio Pakistan’s headquarters on lease and shifting of National Broadcasting House to Pakistan Broadcasting Academy in H-9 Islamabad.

Later, the minister said the headquarters is not being shifted within a month. He said the employees will be consulted regarding the issue.

Chaudhry Fawad said institutions cannot grow until employees are satisfied with their working conditions.

Earlier, PPP leaders including Senator Farhatullah Babar, Khurshid Shah, Nafisa Shah and former information minister Marriyum Aurangzeb visited the protesting employees of Radio Pakistan and expressed solidarity with them.

They said Radio Pakistan is a national institution and it needs to be strengthened.

Talking to media on the occasion, Marriyum Aurangzeb urged the government to avoid taking this step.  She said the opposition will support the government for reforms but nothing should be done against the interest of national institutions.

The Nation

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Business Recorder: Radio Pakistan employees hold country wide protest against Govt decision to lease out PBC HQs’ building

Police subjected an Aaj News reporter to torture for covering the purportedly unlawful closure of a sugar mills in Tando Muhammad Khan, Aaj News reported.

Quoting unnamed sources, the channel said that two years ago an influential personality of Sindh had tried to take over the mills, but its owners refused to sell it. After his failure to acquire the mills, he had it closed down through the Sindh government on “flimsy” grounds. However, a few weeks ago, Sindh High Court asked the mill owners to reopen the mills. When they complied with the court’s orders, a heavy contingent of police in armoured vehicles along with private security guards rushed to the mills and restrained the labourers from entering it. When an Aaj News team reached there, police stopped it from carrying out the coverage of labourers’ protest against the seemingly unlawful closure of the mills. Police severely manhandled Aaj News reporter Muhammad Ansar and deprived him of his cell phone and camera. He was also detained before being released on the intervention of journalists’ bodies and civil society members.

Assistant General Manager of Seeri Sugar Mills Moinuddin told the news channel that a police team was sent to close down the sugar mills on the directives of Sindh government. He alleged that they were being subjected to injustice. He called for secuirty in view of threats to his mills. He claimed that an `influential political personality’ had sought mills’ closure.

Business Recorder

ISLAMABAD / LAHORE / KARACHI: Journalist organisations and civil society held on Tuesday protest demonstrations across Pakistan against Monday’s cracker attack on Express News’ Sargodha office.

The attack had left a security guard injured and many vehicles damaged.
Addressing the demonstration in Islamabad, the Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid said the ink of the pen had played an equally important role in fight against terrorism. “Media is the fourth pillar of the state and has strongly supported the Operation Zarb-e-Azb,” he said.

Rashid assured that the government would arrest all the suspects responsible.
Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah said attacks on the media were condemnable. He demanded that those involved in the attack on Express office be arrested immediately.

In Lahore the journalists protested in front of the Punjab Assembly against the frequent threats received by journalists and media houses.

Leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, Muttahida Qaumi Movement, labour unions and the civil society also participated in the demonstration. They demanded that government ensure the safety and security of media houses and journalists.

Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) organised a protest demonstration in front of Karachi Press Club. The KUJ president said the government had failed to provide security to the journalists and the media houses.

“The KUJ has asked the International Union of Journalists to press upon the Pakistani government to improve the security of the media houses,” he said. Protest demonstrations were also held in other cities.

Express Tribune