CPNE launches security system for journalists
ISLAMABAD: The Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors (CPNE) has launched a system to provide protection to working journalists against security threats. This was announced at a seminar on “Security needs of journalists and the media”, organised by the CPNE.
Chairman CPNE Security and Defence Committee Ikram Sehgal told the participants that the CPNE with the collaboration of a mobile phone company would provide a cellular phone set to journalists, which would be used in emergency situations.
“When the journalist facing any threat would dial 3 from his mobile set, the control room in the city would respond and take appropriate action for his or her timely help,” he said. Speaking on the occasion, CPNE President Khushnood Ali Khan announced that all journalists working with “Daily Sahafat and Daily Jinnah” would get insurance cover very soon. He hoped that editors of other newspapers would also follow and take steps for the insurance of their respective journalists. He also said that his newspapers would investigate the cases of the murder of journalists.
Earlier, the newly-elected President of the National Press Club Afzal Butt said the journalist community was thankful to the CPNE for taking this initiative for the protection of journalists. Senior journalist and PFUJ leader Mazhar Abbas said that journalists face various types of threats and in present times, it was necessary to train them on threat perceptions. He said that in the present situation, it was necessary for the media persons to cooperate with police and other security agencies.
Mazhar Abbas lamented that the media organisations, which investigate many scandals, have never investigated the murder of their own staffers.–APP Online adds: Sehgal informed the audience that now every threatened individual reporter and media organisation would be able to access 111-72-2763 soon and seek immediate pre-emptive or post-incident help all over the country. “The security system has been established and the network is all set, media organisations and journalists would not be easy target for terrorists from now on,” he elaborated.
Sehgal appreciated the prompt actions taken by the CPNE in this regard. The CPNE has formed Security and Defence Committee to suggest measures to ensure safety of journalists and the media organisations in the country. He offered services of his own security company to provide logistic support to the committee.
Source: The News
Date:1/15/2010
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