Pakistan remained most dangerous country in the world for journalists: SAMC yearly report 2010
LAHORE: South Asia Media Commission (SAMC) and Media Commission Pakistan (MCP) in a press conference on Tuesday launched South Asia Media Monitor 2010-a yearly report on the attacks on the press.
Secretary General of SAMC Najam Sethi presented his report on South Asia and reported that Pakistan was the most dangerous country in the world for journalists in 2010.
This year alone 19 journalists and one media worker lost their lives in South Asia, most of them in the conflicts raging areas of the region. There has been a rise in killings. According to the report 13 Pakistani journalists were killed, three in Nepal, two in Afghanistan and two were killed in India.
President Media Commission Pakistan, I. A Rehman, Editor Pakistan Today Arif Nizami and large number of working journalists as well as members of civil society attended the function.
With 12 journalists and one media worker were killed in 2010, Pakistan is at the top of the media casualty list in the region out of which half of them died as a direct result of target killings of gatherings and groups they were covering. According to the report Ashiq Ali Mangi, reporter of Mehran TV, Faiz Muhammad Khan Sasooli, correspondent of Independent News of Pakistan, Haji Misri Khan Orakzai.
A Hangu based journalist, Mujeebur Rehman Saddique, correspondent of Daily Pakistan, Abdul Hammed Hayatan of Royal TV and Muhammad Khan Sasoli, the president of Khuzdar press club were killed, while performing their duties. They were specifically targeted by the murderers including by some banned terrorist out fits.
The suicide bombings in Kohat and Quetta took the lives of Arif Malik, cameraman and Azmat Ali Bangash, reporter of Samma TV. Ijaz -ul Haq a satellite technician was shot dead during a terrorist attack on Ahmadi Mosque. Ejaz Ahmed Raisani news camera man of Samma TV along with Muhammad Sawawar, media crew driver of AAJ TV were killed, while covering the Al-Quds rally of Shias in Quetta.
Abdul Wahab of Express TV and Pervez Khan of Waqt TV died when they were covering a peace jirga in Mohmand Agency in FATA. According to the report incidents of kidnapping of journalists by militants and security forces in the tribal areas have been rampant. Muhammad Rasheed, a free lance journalist, was kidnapped by Taliban, but fell prey to the army’s suspicion after his release.
He was incommunicado for 70 days, as an informant of Taliban before being released. Imran Khan another journalist in Bajaur, escaped abduction by armed militants. Asad Qureshi a documentary film producer was held by militants and had to appeal to the world to pay his ransom.
The spy agencies of this country have also intimidated journalists like Umar Cheema, a reporter of The News and Sirmed Manzoor, chief co-ordinator of SAFMA. South Asia Media Monitor remains committed to the struggle for a free media, for the rights of journalists and for an end to immunity for those who target it.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:12/29/2010
” 
” 
” 
” 
