Tribal journalists urge govt to ensure media freedom in Fata
BAJAUR AGENCY – Fata journalists have urged the government to take appropriate measures to ensures freedom of press in Fata and demanded immediate removal of all restrictions on media in the tribal areas.
They warned if their demands were not accepted, they would start a protest movement in the tribal agencies. This was said by leaders of tribal journalists in the Tribal union of journalist fata central cabinet meeting. President TUJ Fata, Safdar Hayat Dawar presided over the meeting while central office bearers of TUJ all executive members and senior Journalists were attended the meeting.
Participants of the meeting deliberated on the issue tribal journalists are facing in the fata saying that in uncertain and Unsuitable situation it is very difficult for journalists to discharge their professional duties.
They were view that journalists working in tribal areas are facing multi-faceted challenges like no access to information, so many restriction and pressure from the administration, and due to these hurdles the journalist community in fata have badly suffered.
“Despite the hurdles, problems and challenges, tribal journalists committed to their profession and they always performed their professional duties with great integrity and honesty,” the speakers said. On the one hand, the government was claiming free media in the tribal areas but in fact no step has been taken by the government for the freedom of media in the tribal area as result the hurdles and problems of the tribal journalists have been increased said Safdar Hayat Dawar.
Safdar Dawar said that fata reforms and extended of political parties to fata by the present federal government was a good step, “But unfortunately no single words was add in fata reforms about on press freedom, while the tribal journalist are plying a front line role in the war on terror for the national interest and so for 12 tribal journalist have been killed in the line of duty.
The speakers said that free press and access to information are the basics for journalism and said that this is the time government should immediately extend press and publication ordinance to Fata, “government must provide equal rights benefits and basic facilities to the Fata journalists so they will perform their professional duties without pressures and hurdles, they demanded.
The participants showed deep concerned over the not paid of compensation by the federal government to the two victim journalist Mukaram khan atif and Shafiullah killed by militants some months ago.
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