Professional Challenges to Journalists in Pakistan

Book Review: Media Safety in Pakistan by Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) The book ‘Media Safety in Pakistan’ discusses the different types of threats and difficulties faced by the journalists for making a fair reporting. It brings into discussion the nature, intensity, variety and level of threats advanced to the journalists and the manner in which they are exposed to those threats. It describes the role of securtiy agencies, media houses and the journalist unions in providing protection to them for performing their job and continuing with the profession. The study of the book reveals that the journalism is one of the most unsafe professions in Pakistan and the quarters which pose threats to journalists include militant religious outfits, sepratist groups, intelligence agencies, ethnic political parties, mainstream political parties, criminal gangs, tribal elders and feudal lords. The main reasons of enmity of these groups with the journalists are either to report against them or to not to report according to their will. The excellence of this book is that it sheds light on all those different type of threats which vary with the ground realities in every province of Pakistan and develops a better understanding of the issues and the ways to overcome those. Balochistan is said to be the worst affected province of Pakistan in terms of safety of journalists. The journalists in Balochistan face a lot of pressure, attacks, abductions and even murders at the hands of Baloch separatist insurgents, Islamist militants and tribal chieftans. Khuzdar district is known to be the most dangerous place for the journalists to report. Many journalists in Khuzdar, Kalat, Kech, Gawadar and Panjgur have been killed and subjected to atrocities for performing their job in those areas. An international non-governmental organization that promotes and defends freedom of press has listed Baloch separatist groups among the ‘press freedom predators’ in Balochistan. The history of violence against journalists in FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkhua goes back to 2003 and since then 24 journalists have been killed on account of their work. Now, killing, kidnapping and intimidation of journalists have almost become the norm in FATA and KP. The main reasons of victimization of journalists are that the terrorists want to rationalize their actions and they want media to publicize their viewpoint to the world. When media fails to act according to their bid, they issue threats and victimize the journalists and their families. As a result the journalists either have to relocate themselves or they keep running with the risks and try to perform their job as safely as possible. However, the main recourse for the journalists is generally to stop reporting on those issues in which powerful actors are involved. The nature of threats posed to the journalists in interior Sindh and the urban parts of Sindh is altogether different. In interior Sindh journalists largely feel threatened while covering violent clashes between tribes, particularly on issues relating to honour killing and religious practices. Unlike that the journalists in Karachi feel insecure in the hands of Taliban militants, thugs of the political parties, criminal gangs and mainly by sectarian groups. Karachi is ethnically divided into many sects ranging from language to religion and each sect maintains its militant group for fighting against the other. Journalists there become a victim when they either report against any group or when reporting in favour of the other offends any particular group. Punjab and Islamabad are considered to be comparatively less dangerous areas for journalists. However, the threats faced by journalists in these areas are of different type. Aamir Hashim Khakwani, a Lahore based columnist points out that the corporate pressure is a major threat to media overall in Pakistan where advertisement revenue is used as carrot and stick. He further states that the Punjab government is used to threaten media houses to publish or broadcast favourable news. In 1990 they also gave a list of journalists to Jang group to sack them. The book also speaks about the role of media houses and journalist unions which have always failed to provide protection to the journalists associated to them as well as the freelancers. The journalist unions have divided into fractions and the media houses are more concerned with their infrastructure which is used during the reporting and less with the journalists. The law enforcement agencies have completely failed to provide protection to the journalists as well as to arrest and investigate those who are involved into the victimization of the journalists. This failure of law enforcing agencies has further given rise to the impunity. It is a mind blowing piece of research by Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) relating to the threats and insecurity faced by the journalists in Pakistan and promotes a much better understanding of the core issues. It can prove to be of great help if used for devising policies to provide protection to the journalists, keeping in view the ground realities. Writer is a practicing lawyer based in Lahore. Book Review was first published in a weekly magazine Sunday Plus and can be accessed at http://splus.nation.com.pk/E-Paper/Lahore/2014-11-09/page-59

Month of Muharram

ranarizwanhussain

Muharram and Greetings of the New Year

Rana Rizwan Hussain

Wishing happiness to others is a great gesture but observation of appropriate time for it is also pertinent. Everybody likes the greetings of happiness but with the exception of those moments when someone may not be willing to hear those. Everyone can think of his/her own circumstances in which he/she may not like to be greeted with happiness. For instance, if someone is standing at the funereal of his beloved wife and the person standing next to him wishes him the greetings of his wedding anniversary, the greetings may not be appreciated much by the recipient.

New Year according to the Christian Calendar starts from January and it is well celebrated in many parts of the world. If someone picks up to ask a question from those celebrating the New Year that what is so special which has occurred with the…

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