Militants ask media to ‘mend ways’
ISLAMABAD: Militants in Swat warned media personnel on Tuesday of dire consequences if they did not ‘mend their ways’.
According to a private TV channel, pamphlets sent to the offices of newspapers and TV channels asked them to review their role and avoid following “an anti-Taliban agenda”. It was signed by the ‘commander’ of the Fidayeen section of the Tehrik-i-Taliban.
The pamphlets accused the media of following a new trend over the past week which showed that “everybody is following a pro-western policy under pressure or for greed”.
“It is the duty of media to give space and time to statements which have a positive impact on the society.”
The Taliban also warned that they would move the Sharia courts if the media did not follow their instructions.
PFUJ PROTESTS: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) expressed concern over the alleged threat to the media by the militant group.
A PFUJ press statement said that sending “warning letters and displaying warnings in Swat by the Taliban is a regrettable act. It tantamounts to intimidation of the media and media personnel”.
It said that if this tendency was allowed to develop, all non-state actors would start telling the media to project their “particular point of view”. In that case, it said, the media could not play its due role as envisaged in the Constitution. “Even our religion requires us to tell the truth.”
Source: Dawn
Date:4/29/2009
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