Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) research indicates that 11 individuals have been killed in 2009 because of their work as journalists. They either died in the line of duty or were deliberately targeted for assassination because of their reporting or their affiliation with a news organization.
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Monday, March 30, 2009
2008, the most dangerous year for journalists in Pakistan
Islamabad, Dec.31 (ANI): The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has termed 2008, as the most dangerous year for journalists in Pakistan.Eight journalists were killed in different incidents in 2008 in Pakistan.The recent upsurge in militant activities the NWFP has proved deadly for journalists to work in the region, with areas like Swat and Bajour remaining the most dangerous for reporting.PFUJ has also criticised the government for its failure to tackle the issue, by failing to prosecute or probe any suspect in connection with the killing of the journos.The organization has blamed both the government agencies and non-state actors for rise in violence.“Pakistan is getting dangerous and dangerous for journalists particularly for at least 200 journalists working in the tribal areas. The situation may worsen in the coming months,” The Daily Times quoted the journalists union, as saying.There has been a rise in attacks on journalist in Pakistan recently. Journalists who are involved in unravelling misdeeds of political leaders, militants or the mafia are being increasingly targeted in the country.Mohammad Ibrahim of Express TV was killed for interviewing chief of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The interview was never aired nor was his case ever investigated.Similarly, a correspondent of Royal TV was killed allegedly by the drug mafia after he did a special report on drugs in Pak Punjab.Several reporters working in Peshawar have admitted that they are receiving death threats regularly.
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Pakistan 10th most unsafe country for journalists
New York, Mar 24 (ANI): Journalists are no more safe in Pakistan as they are killed regularly, having no freedom to work and the 2009 Global Impunity Index of the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) recent survey ranks Pakistan 10th among 14 countries.
Other countries in the region India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Nepal and Bangladesh also figure on the index, a list of countries where journalists are killed regularly and governments fail to solve the crimes.
The already murderous conditions for the Press in Sri Lanka and Pakistan deteriorated further in the past year, the CPJ said.
Were distressed to see justice worsen in places such as Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Our findings indicate that the failure to solve journalist murders perpetuates further violence against the Press, Joel Simon, CPJ Executive Director, said in a statement.
Countries can get off this list of shame only by committing themselves to seeking justice, The Nation quoted Simon, as saying.
On Pakistan, CPJ said: In a deteriorating security situation, journalists have come under threat from a wide range of militant religious and criminal organisations, some with links to Pakistani intelligence.
Three unsolved murders were reported in 2008, bringing the decade total to 10 and moving Pakistan up two places on the index. Impunity Index Rating: 0.062 unsolved journalist murders per 1 million inhabitants.
CPJs Impunity Index, compiled for the second year, calculates the number of unsolved journalist murders as a percentage of a countrys population, The Nation reports.
CPJ examined every nation in the world for the years 1999 through 2008. Cases are considered unsolved when no convictions have been obtained.
Only those nations with five or more unsolved cases are included on this Index, a threshold reached by 14 countries this year. Iraq, Sierra Leone and Somalia top the Impunity Index. (ANI)
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Other countries in the region India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Nepal and Bangladesh also figure on the index, a list of countries where journalists are killed regularly and governments fail to solve the crimes.
The already murderous conditions for the Press in Sri Lanka and Pakistan deteriorated further in the past year, the CPJ said.
Were distressed to see justice worsen in places such as Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Our findings indicate that the failure to solve journalist murders perpetuates further violence against the Press, Joel Simon, CPJ Executive Director, said in a statement.
Countries can get off this list of shame only by committing themselves to seeking justice, The Nation quoted Simon, as saying.
On Pakistan, CPJ said: In a deteriorating security situation, journalists have come under threat from a wide range of militant religious and criminal organisations, some with links to Pakistani intelligence.
Three unsolved murders were reported in 2008, bringing the decade total to 10 and moving Pakistan up two places on the index. Impunity Index Rating: 0.062 unsolved journalist murders per 1 million inhabitants.
CPJs Impunity Index, compiled for the second year, calculates the number of unsolved journalist murders as a percentage of a countrys population, The Nation reports.
CPJ examined every nation in the world for the years 1999 through 2008. Cases are considered unsolved when no convictions have been obtained.
Only those nations with five or more unsolved cases are included on this Index, a threshold reached by 14 countries this year. Iraq, Sierra Leone and Somalia top the Impunity Index. (ANI)
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IFJ mourns killing of journalist
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is extremely concerned by the failure of authorities in Pakistan to fully investigate the killings of journalists, after another journalist was murdered last night.
Raja Assad Hameed, a senior reporter for the daily Nation and Waqt TV Channel, was shot four times by unidentified assailants as he arrived at his home in Rawalpindi, reports the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), an IFJ affiliate. He died in hospital.
The PFUJ said the motive for the murder is unclear.
The IFJ joins the PFUJ in demanding that Pakistan’s Government direct local authorities to conduct a full investigation and to bring the culprits to justice.
However, it is disturbed to learn that authorities have not properly investigated the abduction and targeted murder of GEO correspondent Mussa Khankhel in Swat Valley on February 18.
The PFUJ suggests the failure of authorities to investigate Khankhel’s murder is reason to doubt the sincerity of the Government in its promise to protect media personnel.
“The Government of Pakistan must act on its stated commitment to defend media rights, including the right of media personnel to be protected against targeted violence,” IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park said.
“Offering to provide compensation after violence has been committed is an insufficient response in dealing with the level of violence directed against the media in various parts of Pakistan.”
The murder of Assad follows another killing of a journalist this week. Tariq Malik, a young correspondent for Dawn News, was shot dead on March 24 in what appears to have been a street robbery unrelated to his professional work.
Members of the PFUJ will hold a rally this weekend to protest continuing violence against journalists and to appeal again to the authorities to take serious action.
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Raja Assad Hameed, a senior reporter for the daily Nation and Waqt TV Channel, was shot four times by unidentified assailants as he arrived at his home in Rawalpindi, reports the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), an IFJ affiliate. He died in hospital.
The PFUJ said the motive for the murder is unclear.
The IFJ joins the PFUJ in demanding that Pakistan’s Government direct local authorities to conduct a full investigation and to bring the culprits to justice.
However, it is disturbed to learn that authorities have not properly investigated the abduction and targeted murder of GEO correspondent Mussa Khankhel in Swat Valley on February 18.
The PFUJ suggests the failure of authorities to investigate Khankhel’s murder is reason to doubt the sincerity of the Government in its promise to protect media personnel.
“The Government of Pakistan must act on its stated commitment to defend media rights, including the right of media personnel to be protected against targeted violence,” IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park said.
“Offering to provide compensation after violence has been committed is an insufficient response in dealing with the level of violence directed against the media in various parts of Pakistan.”
The murder of Assad follows another killing of a journalist this week. Tariq Malik, a young correspondent for Dawn News, was shot dead on March 24 in what appears to have been a street robbery unrelated to his professional work.
Members of the PFUJ will hold a rally this weekend to protest continuing violence against journalists and to appeal again to the authorities to take serious action.
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Sunday, March 29, 2009
Journalists, newsmen laid off
Friday, March 27, was the very bad day for those working for DawnNews as the organization has laid off 76 of its people across the country including Karachi.
The Secretary of the Karachi Press Club, Mr. A.H. Khanzada is among those laid off by the DawnNews TV channel. Many of the journalists had received the termination letter by courier in the morning. They felt the way they were laid off humiliating.
The ruthless action by the DawnNews management has spread the wave of anger among the journalists.
It is not the first time that the owners of the news organization have carried out the “economic murder” of journalists. A little bit earlier, many journalists have been laid off by AAJ TV, Geo TV, daily Al-Sharq and the daily Aaj-kal.
A couple of day, 30 newsmen, laid off by the Aaj-kal, staged a protest demonstration over the economic murder of newsmen. They asked the government to intervene.
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists and Karachi Union of Journalists have not issued any statement on this issue so far.
The Secretary of the Karachi Press Club, Mr. A.H. Khanzada is among those laid off by the DawnNews TV channel. Many of the journalists had received the termination letter by courier in the morning. They felt the way they were laid off humiliating.
The ruthless action by the DawnNews management has spread the wave of anger among the journalists.
It is not the first time that the owners of the news organization have carried out the “economic murder” of journalists. A little bit earlier, many journalists have been laid off by AAJ TV, Geo TV, daily Al-Sharq and the daily Aaj-kal.
A couple of day, 30 newsmen, laid off by the Aaj-kal, staged a protest demonstration over the economic murder of newsmen. They asked the government to intervene.
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists and Karachi Union of Journalists have not issued any statement on this issue so far.
Ghausi is no more
Sabihuddin Ghausi, a veteran journalist and Assistant Editor of DailyDawn, died in sleep here early on Thursday morning. He was 65.
He was laid to rest after Zuhr prayers at the graveyard near the milk plant on Sir Shah Suleman Road. Soyem will be held on Saturday after Asr prayers at the Ghafooria Mosque (Pakola Wali Masjid) in Garden East.He has left behind a widow, two older brothers and an older sister.
Mr Ghausi was admitted to hospital on Feb 8 after suffering a brain haemorrhage. He was discharged after two weeks.Sabihuddin Ghausi hailed from Ahmedabad, in the Indian state of Gujarat. His father was a sessions judge in the Junagarh High Court and before the annexation of the princely state by New Delhi, he served as revenue commissioner in Manavadar.
After the Indian occupation, the family migrated to Pakistan.Mr Ghausi was a thorough professional and committed himself to fighting for freedom of the press from the outset. A yearning for social change also informed all his writings.He earned his bachelor’s degree from Islamia College, Karachi.
After earning a masters degree from the University of Karachi, he joined the Habib Bank as an officer, but found the job unfulfilling. So he resigned and opted for a career in journalism, joining Daily Sun, Karachi, in 1970.
The tutelage of Shamim Ahmad, the founding editor of the newspaper, enabled him to master the nuts and bolts of the trade in no time.
After the closure of the Sun, he joined the Pakistan Press International (PPI), a news agency. Here another acclaimed journalist Javed Bokhari helped him reach new heights. Before switching over to daily Dawn, Karachi, in 1988 he also worked for daily Muslim, Islamabad, (now defunct), daily Business Recorder and Morning News, Karachi.The guidance of Ahmad Ali Khan, the editor of Dawn, and S.G.M.
Badruddin was enough to bring out the best in Mr Ghausi.Dedication to work did not, however, keep him away from the wider world.A hunger for contributing to journalists’ welfare, as well as to alleviating the misery of the masses, saw him working with seasoned campaigners like Asrar Ahmad, Minhaj Barna and Nisar Usmani.He also suffered joblessness and imprisonment during Gen Ziaul Haq’s martial law, but never compromised on principles.
He was elected President of Karachi Union of Journalists twice and President of Karachi Press Club four times. Economics and politics were Mr Ghausi’s forte. Television channels used to prize his piercing analyses on current affairs.
Source: Karachi/DawnDate:3/27/2009
He was laid to rest after Zuhr prayers at the graveyard near the milk plant on Sir Shah Suleman Road. Soyem will be held on Saturday after Asr prayers at the Ghafooria Mosque (Pakola Wali Masjid) in Garden East.He has left behind a widow, two older brothers and an older sister.
Mr Ghausi was admitted to hospital on Feb 8 after suffering a brain haemorrhage. He was discharged after two weeks.Sabihuddin Ghausi hailed from Ahmedabad, in the Indian state of Gujarat. His father was a sessions judge in the Junagarh High Court and before the annexation of the princely state by New Delhi, he served as revenue commissioner in Manavadar.
After the Indian occupation, the family migrated to Pakistan.Mr Ghausi was a thorough professional and committed himself to fighting for freedom of the press from the outset. A yearning for social change also informed all his writings.He earned his bachelor’s degree from Islamia College, Karachi.
After earning a masters degree from the University of Karachi, he joined the Habib Bank as an officer, but found the job unfulfilling. So he resigned and opted for a career in journalism, joining Daily Sun, Karachi, in 1970.
The tutelage of Shamim Ahmad, the founding editor of the newspaper, enabled him to master the nuts and bolts of the trade in no time.
After the closure of the Sun, he joined the Pakistan Press International (PPI), a news agency. Here another acclaimed journalist Javed Bokhari helped him reach new heights. Before switching over to daily Dawn, Karachi, in 1988 he also worked for daily Muslim, Islamabad, (now defunct), daily Business Recorder and Morning News, Karachi.The guidance of Ahmad Ali Khan, the editor of Dawn, and S.G.M.
Badruddin was enough to bring out the best in Mr Ghausi.Dedication to work did not, however, keep him away from the wider world.A hunger for contributing to journalists’ welfare, as well as to alleviating the misery of the masses, saw him working with seasoned campaigners like Asrar Ahmad, Minhaj Barna and Nisar Usmani.He also suffered joblessness and imprisonment during Gen Ziaul Haq’s martial law, but never compromised on principles.
He was elected President of Karachi Union of Journalists twice and President of Karachi Press Club four times. Economics and politics were Mr Ghausi’s forte. Television channels used to prize his piercing analyses on current affairs.
Source: Karachi/DawnDate:3/27/2009
Journalists slam colleagues' murder
MULTAN, March 27: Journalists demonstrated on Friday in Multan and Faisalabad against the killing of their colleagues in Lahore and Rawalpindi.
Unidentified men killed DawnNews reporter Tariq Javed Malik in Lahore and The Nation’s Raja Asad Hameed in Rawalpindi.In Multan, the Multan Press Club and the Multan Union of Journalists staged a rally, led by Jamshaid Rizwani, Mazhar Javed, Gohar Javed, Jabbar Mufti and Irtaza Malik. The participants paid rich tributes to the slain journalists and demanded early arrest of the killers.Activists of the Pakistan Muslim League-N led by Tariq Naeemullah and workers of Pattan Development Organisation led by Sarwar Bari and Abdul Saboor also participated in the protest.
Speakers said journalists had always been victimised by the oppressors and the killing of both journalists was an attack on the freedom of the press. They said that the murder of journalists had proven that the media was not free and that law and order situation was worsening in Pakistan day by day.The speakers said the murder of the journalists happened due to the negligence of the government.
They demanded security arrangements for all journalists besides compensation for the heirs to those reporters who lay down their lives in the line of duty.FAISALABAD: The Pakistan Union of Journalists staged a protest rally against the killing of Raja Asad.The rally was led by PFUJ President Huma Ali, secretary Mazhar Abbas and Faisalabad Press Club president Shahid Ali started from the press club.
Wearing black armbands, the journalists chanted slogans against the killing of Raja Asad and for journalists’ protection.Mr Ali and Mr Abbas said five journalists had been killed in the country in last five months and the government had done nothing to arrest the criminals.
They said the journalists would decide their future course of action to stage a sit-in outside the president’s and governor’s secretariat.
Unidentified men killed DawnNews reporter Tariq Javed Malik in Lahore and The Nation’s Raja Asad Hameed in Rawalpindi.In Multan, the Multan Press Club and the Multan Union of Journalists staged a rally, led by Jamshaid Rizwani, Mazhar Javed, Gohar Javed, Jabbar Mufti and Irtaza Malik. The participants paid rich tributes to the slain journalists and demanded early arrest of the killers.Activists of the Pakistan Muslim League-N led by Tariq Naeemullah and workers of Pattan Development Organisation led by Sarwar Bari and Abdul Saboor also participated in the protest.
Speakers said journalists had always been victimised by the oppressors and the killing of both journalists was an attack on the freedom of the press. They said that the murder of journalists had proven that the media was not free and that law and order situation was worsening in Pakistan day by day.The speakers said the murder of the journalists happened due to the negligence of the government.
They demanded security arrangements for all journalists besides compensation for the heirs to those reporters who lay down their lives in the line of duty.FAISALABAD: The Pakistan Union of Journalists staged a protest rally against the killing of Raja Asad.The rally was led by PFUJ President Huma Ali, secretary Mazhar Abbas and Faisalabad Press Club president Shahid Ali started from the press club.
Wearing black armbands, the journalists chanted slogans against the killing of Raja Asad and for journalists’ protection.Mr Ali and Mr Abbas said five journalists had been killed in the country in last five months and the government had done nothing to arrest the criminals.
They said the journalists would decide their future course of action to stage a sit-in outside the president’s and governor’s secretariat.
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