The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is alarmed by the sackings of media personnel at television stations and newspapers across Pakistan and calls on media owners to treat their workers with respect and to abide by Pakistan’s labour laws.
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), an IFJ affiliate, reports that hundreds of journalists and media workers in all major cities of Pakistan have been sacked with little warning since the beginning of the year. Many retrenched workers have received no explanation or been told their retrenchment is due to “financial constraints”.
Complaints about abrupt sackings have been received from workers at television stations Dawn News, News One, Channel 5, Aaj, GEO and Samaa, as well as Aaj Kal, Daily Jinnah Khabrian, the Post, Alsharq and the Pakistan Observer newspapers.
The IFJ draws the attention of Pakistan’s media owners to the February 2009 Hong Kong Declaration, in which leaders of journalists’ associations and trade unions from across Asia-Pacific, attending an IFJ regional meeting on the global financial crisis, urged media houses to recognise that drastic cost-cutting only leads to a vicious downward spiral, in which media companies, workers and the wider public suffer.
The declaration calls on media owners to work with labour organisations to protect the rights, security and living conditions of media workers, and to devise and implement appropriate measures for sustaining quality media businesses during times of financial hardship.
“We urge media executives to invest in the future of journalism by building new audiences and wisely managing the introduction of new technologies and tools that allow journalists to tell their stories in new ways. News executives need vision and courage to do this,” the declaration said.
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Monday, April 6, 2009
Taliban extend deadline for Canadian journalist
Monday, April 6, 2009
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Taliban have extended deadline till April 5 for killing a Canadian Muslim woman journalist to agree to their demands for the release of prisoners.
Khadija Abdul Qahaar, 55, previously known as Beverly Giesbrecht, was kidnapped from near Bannu on Nov 11 when she was visiting the region for a documentary.
Taliban had set March end for her release but a Taliban statement distributed in Miranshah, the centre of North Waziristan tribal region last night said that the Canadian Pakistani authorities did not contact them. The statement said that the Canadian journalist was a spy and had come to the tribal area for espionage on Taliban.
In a video the Canadian Muslim journalist said that the militants would kill her if their demands were not met. Khadija Abdul Qahaar had converted to Islam in response to the US “war on terror” that followed 9/11.
“We have very short time now. And I am going to be killed,” Khadija Abdul Qahaar said in the video, which was delivered to journalists in Miranshah. In her first video last month she confirmed that she had been kidnapped by Taliban and had pleaded for her release. Taliban in a statement said that Khadija Abdul Qahaar is not a journalist but ‘she had come to the tribal regions on espionage mission. “We will kill her if our demands were not accepted,” the statement said.
The statement was delivered in the Miranshah press club by unknown persons. “Her murder is justified under Sharia laws,” the statement said.
It said that a deadline of March 30 was set for acceptance for the demands but neither the Canadian government nor Pakistani authorities have established any contact. “We had extended the deadline till April 3 at the request of the local journalists,” the statement said, adding “We are now again extending deadline till April 5”. Office-bearers of the Miranshah Press Club last week had issued a statement, making appeal to the captors to free the Canadian journalist.
Click here to see the source
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Taliban have extended deadline till April 5 for killing a Canadian Muslim woman journalist to agree to their demands for the release of prisoners.
Khadija Abdul Qahaar, 55, previously known as Beverly Giesbrecht, was kidnapped from near Bannu on Nov 11 when she was visiting the region for a documentary.
Taliban had set March end for her release but a Taliban statement distributed in Miranshah, the centre of North Waziristan tribal region last night said that the Canadian Pakistani authorities did not contact them. The statement said that the Canadian journalist was a spy and had come to the tribal area for espionage on Taliban.
In a video the Canadian Muslim journalist said that the militants would kill her if their demands were not met. Khadija Abdul Qahaar had converted to Islam in response to the US “war on terror” that followed 9/11.
“We have very short time now. And I am going to be killed,” Khadija Abdul Qahaar said in the video, which was delivered to journalists in Miranshah. In her first video last month she confirmed that she had been kidnapped by Taliban and had pleaded for her release. Taliban in a statement said that Khadija Abdul Qahaar is not a journalist but ‘she had come to the tribal regions on espionage mission. “We will kill her if our demands were not accepted,” the statement said.
The statement was delivered in the Miranshah press club by unknown persons. “Her murder is justified under Sharia laws,” the statement said.
It said that a deadline of March 30 was set for acceptance for the demands but neither the Canadian government nor Pakistani authorities have established any contact. “We had extended the deadline till April 3 at the request of the local journalists,” the statement said, adding “We are now again extending deadline till April 5”. Office-bearers of the Miranshah Press Club last week had issued a statement, making appeal to the captors to free the Canadian journalist.
Click here to see the source
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Journalists stage protest
Journalists staged a protest in front of the Karachi Press Club on Friday, April 3, 2009, against the laying off the employees from electronic and print media.
The protest was organized by the Karachi Press Club while journalists belonging to both the factions of the Karachi Union of Journalists i.e. Burna and Dastoor, participated in the protest. The participation jointly by the members of two KUJs showed the unity of journalists and seriousness of the issue.
They held placards and banners condemning the management of those institutions from where the newsmen were laid off. They vowed to wage struggle for the just rights.
The protest was organized by the Karachi Press Club while journalists belonging to both the factions of the Karachi Union of Journalists i.e. Burna and Dastoor, participated in the protest. The participation jointly by the members of two KUJs showed the unity of journalists and seriousness of the issue.
They held placards and banners condemning the management of those institutions from where the newsmen were laid off. They vowed to wage struggle for the just rights.
Monday, March 30, 2009
11 journalists killed in 2009
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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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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