‘Global Action Day’ for Pakistani press freedom: Govt urged to probe violence against journalists
PESHAWAR: In over 100 countries of the world, journalists marked Friday as ‘Global Action Day’ to express solidarity with their Pakistani counterparts, pressing the government in Islamabad to “safeguard press freedom” and to conduct inquiries into violence against journalists.
The International Federation of Journalists – with over 500,000 members across the world – and the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists had given the call for the day after attacks on independent media in the country increased after March 9 when President General Pervez Musharraf moved a reference against the Supreme Court chief justice on the charges of alleged misconduct.
“The Pakistani government can no longer remain silent and I reiterate the call for a commission of inquiry to be established to investigate these attacks and murders,” IFJ President Jim Boumelha said in a letter to PFUJ President Huma Ali on the occasion.
Journalists’ bodies also organised protest rallies the country to condemn increasing government pressure, what the PFUJ describes as, “gagging” of the free press.
“We do not accept curbs on the press,” journalists shouted outside Peshawar Press Club and similar protests were also held in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.
The IFJ president added, “I write on behalf of all the 115 IFJ affiliates around the world to express our full support for and solidarity with your day of action. We are well aware of the deteriorating situation faced by Pakistani journalists in recent weeks, in particular the curbs on media freedom.”
He said the IFJ “is also concerned about the climate of fear and insecurity prevailing in Pakistan, and our affiliates across the world are writing today to President Musharraf asking him to intervene and bring those who attack journalists and their families to justice.”
The Global Action Day comes on the eve of first death anniversary of tribal journalist Hayatullah Khan whose dead body was found on June 16 last year in North Waziristan after he was kidnapped on December 5, 2005, five days after he contradicted the government claim that Al Qaeda suspect Abu Hamza was killed in explosion and not in a US missile attack.
“Keeping in mind the one-year anniversary of the murder of Hayatullah Khan, we should also remember today the tragic deaths of so many other journalists, in particular Munir Sangi, Ismail Khan, Maqbool Sial and Noor Hakim,” the IFJ president stated. In Nepal , Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) along with other media rights organisations of Nepal submitted a memorandum to the Pakistani Embassy on Friday at Narayangopal Chowk, Kathmandu. The memorandum “expressed deep concern over the increasing dangers faced by journalists in Pakistan and the growing restraints on the functioning of the media in the country.
It was submitted as a part of the ‘International Day of Action’ called by the IFJ,” a message from FNJ received here via email said.
Source: Daily Times
Date:6/16/2007
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