Freedom of Press never favoured by rulers, says Nizami
LAHORE- Freedom of Press does not find favor with any autocratic ruler whether he is an army general or a civilian.
This was stated by Editor-in-Chief, The Nation, Majid Nizami during his speech at a special sitting organized in his honor, which was followed by question/answer session. The sitting was arranged by Punjab Union of Journalists (PUJ) in collaboration with the Press Institute of Pakistan (PIP). Honorary Director of PIP Raziuddin Shaikh welcomed the guests. PUJ President Jalilur Rehman explained objectives of the sitting. Editor The Nation, Arif Nizami senior journalists and PUJ office-bearers were also present.
It was a unique sitting at which one of the most illustrious editors shared his views on various issues facing the national Press with the local journalists. He has the honor of editing one of the largest publications in Pakistan that had been campaigning for freedom of Press and democracy.
On this occasion, Majid Nizami in a candid manner gave his life-sketch and an account of his experience as an editor, who had seen the coming and going of many successive governments. He expressed his views about various issues confronting journalists and the people at large. His exclusive talk at PIP also gave an insight into his work as an editor based on high journalistic principles and values.
He said the late Hameed Nizami was the first martyr of martial law, as he could not survive in an atmosphere of suffocation created by it.
Replying to a question, Majid Nizami strongly criticized yellow journalism. “Those who believe in yellow journalism are not journalists whether they are the owners or the employees. The journalists themselves have to discourage yellow journalism, and implement their own code of ethics. The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) has adhered to a code of ethics. Perhaps, it should also include ethics to curb yellow journalism”, he added.
Replying to a question about the problems of women in journalism, Majid Nizami said that women journalists and working women both should evolve their own code of ethics to be pursued by them to safeguard their integrity and honor.
Replying to another question, Majid Nizami admitted that he was an egoist as an editor as he was not ready to compromise on professional principles with any ruler whether military or civil. “As a human being I am quite humble and supportive to my staff and colleagues but as an editor, I have certain principles and values.” he added.
He said any editor who compromises on his principles has no right to be called an editor. Nizami said he never succumbed to any pressure, be it from a military or civilian government.
“I supported Bhutto in the hope that democracy would be ushered in after a long dictatorship but it proved wholly untrue as instead of democracy, fascism and socialism found its way here which were contrary to the countryÂ’s character and ideology. As a result, we distanced ourselves as Bhutto started drawing inspiration from Moscow instead of the holy city of Makkah,” Nizami said.
Majid Nizami, however, said he was the only editor who attended the court of Maulvi Mushtaq during the trial of Bhutto.
While quoting various instances when he took on the military dictators to hold high the banner of free Press, Majid Nizami said: “Once Ayub Khan called editors’ conference at Dhaka. On this occasion, he said journalism was a business. I said publication of newspaper might be a business but not the journalism. If it is a business why can’t your son (who was then a businessman) start this business too?”
Citing another example Majid Nizami said that Yahya Khan called a meeting of editors where Mujibur Rehman Shami, Altaf Hassan Qureshi, Hanif Ramay, Kausar Niazi and he were present. Editors were facing certain cases. Kausar Niazi pleaded for withdrawal of these cases. Yahya Khan agreed to it saying editors should first beg pardon. The remarks were followed by a pin drop silence on which Maulana Niazi said that the editors have agreed. But I interrupted and said, “Why should they seek pardon and for what?” Yahya replied, “Then face the cases in courts”. “I said neither martial law nor the courts are legal.” Nizami quoted.
Replying to a question about the Wage Board Award. Maiid Nizami said that he had no role whatsoever even behind the scene in the CPNE and All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) matters. He said Federal Minister Omar Asghar Khan telephoned him and wished to see him in connection with the Wage Board Award but he told him that there was no need of meeting him as he had nothing to do with the CPNE and APNS matters.
He said he had a meeting with Omar Asghar at a seminar in Karachi recently. He told him that the government had been talking of Wage Board Award in newspapers but had the government introduced it in any other industry or in the public departments? On his part, he said, he will however implement the Wage Board Award if it was announced. However, he said, he firmly believed that a Wage Board was not viable during the current newspaper crisis unless journalists and non-journalists were treated as separate categories.
He said his stance against dummy newspapers was right, as these newspapers had been eating up ad revenue of genuine newspapers. “Some dummy newspapers were in the name of government officers wives,” he said.
Replying to another question, Majid Nizami denied that he was against trade unionism. “The true trade unionists do not consider me their opponent”, he remarked. He said that he honestly thinks that trade union should not be allowed in newspapers. He cited the example of PPL, Mashriq and Kohistan, which were closed due to worst trade union activities and government control. No journalist except Mazhar Ali Khan resigned in protest, he said adding he often visits Bakhtiar Labor Hall and participates in labor meetings at Aiwan-i-Karkunan Tehrik-i-Pakistan along with Khurshid Ahmad.
He said “there was a time when we used to give salaries to staff in different phases, but when the situation improved, we allowed bonuses to the workers.”
While delivering his address at the onset of the sitting, Majid Nizami said that during his whole life he did no other job except as a journalist. He was a student when he came to Lahore and worked in Nawa-i-Waqt, then a fortnightly. The Nawa-i-Waqt later became weekly and subsequently became a daily. It had two objectives: first to work for Pakistan Movement and Islam and secondly to promote Urdu language. “Punjabi, our mother tongue, is a spoken language and is difficult to write. Hussain Naqi brought out a weekly in Punjabi but it was closed down,” Majid Nizami said. He recounted the days when Nawa-i-Waqt was published from Beadon Road, two of the news editors before Zahoor Alam Shaheed being Hindus. The office was not safe as Pakistan flag was hoisted at the building and it had to be later shifted to Shah Din Building.
Majid Nizami said he did his M.A. in Political Science in 1954 and went to London for Bar-at-Law. He was called back in 1962 as (late) Hameed Nizami’s health was deteriorating. Through his education, he learnt what was responsible journalism and how to work within the legal parameters as a journalist.
He said it is the policy and not the size of a publication or its circulation, which makes a newspaper great. “A news must be published and competition should have some norms”, he added.
Majid Nizami said a deal is being finalised with Asif Ali Zardari. However, it has been contradicted. “The deal is there”. “The conditional ties are being worked out but at the same time display of Zardari‘s artefacts is also continuing”. Nizami commented.
Majid Nizami said that if a correspondent or a reporter is implicated in a case, the editor should take the responsibility. He cited the example of Waliur Rehman, a Taxila correspondent of Nawa-i-Waqt who was arrested but was fully protected by his editor. On the other hand, a government controlled-newspaper editor shifted the responsibility of implication in a case to his staff, which was unethical.
Majid Nizami said that Pakistan was created in the name of Islam. “Pakistan ka mutlab kia” was a popular slogan. “Those who say that Pakistan has nothing to do with Islam are misled. Pakistan was created by Quaid-i-Azam who had firm belief in Islam. Quaid recited Quran and offered prayers although he used to wear Western dress previously. The Quaid said that his Islam was the same, which was preached by the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)”, he said. Majid Nizami, however, lamented that country was divided into Shias and Sunnis. Earlier PUJ (D) President Jalilur Rehman said that sitting with Majid Nizami was the start of a series of PUJ meetings with veteran journalists to seek their guidance on the current journalistic practice.
Source: The Nation
Date:9/4/2001
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