What threats do journalists face in the tribal areas of Balochistan?
influential personalities and regional representatives impersonate journalists by creating a social media wing to hide their failures. Elected representatives from the region employ their social media team to troll journalists who speak or write about their corruption.
At present, however, journalists across the country are facing a difficult situation. Attempts to suppress the freedom of the media are ongoing at all levels, but journalism in Balochistan is a life-threatening job, especially in the tribal areas, journalists face all kinds of pressure. These are areas where neither human rights organizations nor journalistic organizations have access, and even if they do, they cannot play an active role there. Then the pressure on journalists in such areas is high, influential politicians and state institutions try every tactic including violence to suppress journalists.
Sometimes, by justifying a journalist’s news, he is dragged into the tribal jirga. In some cases influential personalities and regional representatives impersonate journalists by creating a social media wing to hide their failures. Elected representatives from the region employ their social media team to troll journalists who speak or write about their corruption. It is the responsibility of their social media team to create Facebook IDs and WhatsApp groups with different names and numbers and mentally torture the journalists by verbal abuse to suppress the journalist’s voice and this situation is national. On the contrary, journalists in big cities do not face much difficulties in carrying out their professional affairs and in case of harassment, the journalist community immediately reaches out for help.
According to Ismail Asim, President of Washik Press Club, where they are facing unannounced bans, the administration also tries to keep journalists under pressure by resorting to various tricks.
Ismail Asim says that in February 2021, he received information that extortion was being taken from oil tankers at a checkpoint in Basima, so he and one of his colleagues associated with daily election, Abdul Hameed, went to check the situation at the said checkpoint. When he went there, he saw that there were long queues of oil tankers and public allowances were being collected, so he made a video of it. When the video went viral, the senior officer took notice and suspended the 7 officials involved, after which a front was opened against these journalists.
On the one hand, his character began to be destroyed on social media, on the other hand, he started receiving threats from unknown numbers, about which he lodged a complaint in the police station, but the tragedy is that the investigation of such incidents by the forces. The same people and organizations are doing the same against whom there are complaints. In this case, apart from getting justice, on the contrary, the victimized journalist is made guilty. Something similar happened to them. They were asked why they went to the checkpoint without permission. This is an interference in the government. After this behavior they gave up on the demand to take any action against the harassers.
The biggest problem in tribal areas
Journalists in tribal areas face more problems when political or tribal opponents oppose each other and hold rallies or press conferences against each other. On such occasions, journalists face pressure from both sides to give more coverage to their press conference or rally, while the media owners sitting in big cities do not even realize what difficulties their representative is facing. have to do it. They do what they want. Channels run someone’s news and don’t run someone else’s news, then the blame falls on the local journalist that they were not given coverage on the request of the opposite side.
Similarly, sometimes these people use indecent language against each other, which is not allowed by the journalistic rules and neither newspapers and channels broadcast them, but still the pressure falls on the local journalist. Such a case happened with Inam Baloch, a journalist from Kohlu, that a rally was organized by a political party against the opposition party and in this rally their leaders insulted the ancestors of the leaders of the opposition party. When they abused him, they made their news in journalistic language and sent it to the newspaper. The next day, the newspaper carried a three-column story with coverage.
Inam Baloch says that after reading the newspaper, he received a call from the leader of this party. Seeing his call, I thought that maybe the call was being made to thank him, but the opposite happened. As soon as the call was received, I was met with a threatening stern tone to put pressure on me. On behalf of this leader, it was being said that why you have not included the things that our party leaders have done, so I tried to explain and said that the things are the same, but we have used journalistic language. They have made the news because they have only insulted us and we cannot give such insults and neither do we print our newspaper, to which they said that you should straighten up, otherwise you know us.
It can be estimated that the journalists of remote areas of inner Balochistan have to go through.
A senior journalist of Khuzdar, on the condition of anonymity, while narrating the difficulties in the field, said that in 2012, a cotton factory in Khuzdar caught fire. It is alleged that the factory owner himself started the fire because the factory was insured and the factory owner had to face a loss of Rs. Burned. When this investigative news went out, the factory owners were contacted saying that you have not heard our position, so come to take our position.
The journalist said that when I reached them, the factory owners were accompanied by two other tribal figures. The factory owners put two options in front of the journalist, money on one side and a pistol on the other side and asked to accept either of these two but we should immediately deny the news. According to the senior journalist, he did this keeping in mind the safety, before going to the factory owners, he told a media friend that I am going to such and such people so that you are aware. So immediately I called the same friend in front of the factory owners, turned on the speaker and asked you to tell me where I am at that time, he replied that such and such should be with the factory owners. After telling them that much, I cut off the call and told the harassers that I didn’t hear it, just do whatever you want to do with me, but I will never deny the news. Then force them to leave me fell After returning to the press club, I told other journalists and we also filed a request at the police station, but in the middle dignitaries and tribal personalities came. He apologized and reconciled.
Position of General Secretary of Balochistan Union of Journalists
Regarding the difficulties faced by the journalists of Balochistan, Manzoor Ahmed Baloch, General Secretary of Balochistan Union of Journalists, was asked about the help provided by the organization in the difficult situation for the journalists of Balochistan apart from Quetta. It was said that we see all the journalists of Balochistan in the same way, everyone is equally important to us whether they are our members or not, Balochistan. The Union of Journalists is with them in difficult situations. We issued a statement condemning the recent two attacks on journalists of the Khuzdar Press Club and also spoke to the Home Minister. Similarly, when Yakub, a journalist from Gwadar, was arrested under 3MPO, I as the General Secretary spoke to the Interior Minister at the same time while our President Irfan Saeed spoke to the Chief Minister and we freed him. We have issued a statement condemning the attack on the president of Khuzdar Press Club last Saturday, while a huge protest was held in front of the Quetta Press Club against the attack on journalist Jan Muhammad Maher and the president of Khuzdar Press Club who were martyred in Sukkur. The entire journalist community participated in it.
Financial support for journalists
Regarding the financial support of journalists, Manzoor Baloch said that due to the efforts of the Balochistan Union of Journalists, the Journalists’ Welfare Fund was established in 2020, which began to be implemented from 2022. Under this, journalists are funded for medical treatment and children’s marriages or their own marriage. Similarly, in case of martyrdom or death of a journalist, his next of kin will be given an aid of around 3 lakh rupees. Apart from this, the Balochistan Union of Journalists is trying to convince the Balochistan government to keep a job quota for the heirs of the martyrs and to set a stipend for the heirs of the martyred journalists by their channel and newspaper owners. Due to the efforts of Balochistan Union of Journalists, stipends have been fixed for the heirs of many martyrs. Balochistan in every difficult hourThe Union of Journalists stands with the journalists of Balochistan .
Attitude of Khuzdar administration
Regarding the difficulties faced by journalists of Khuzdar, when Deputy Commissioner Khuzdar Captain (Rtd) Jameel Ahmed Baloch was contacted, he said that we try to ensure that there is no restriction on freedom of expression and that journalists work freely. . We have also provided security to the press club for the safety of journalists. Levies and 4 police officers are on duty at Khuzdar Press Club. The administration helps the rest of the journalists wherever they are needed, but this is a tribal area, there are tribal traditions, under which the journalists have to take care of certain things.
Source: Naya Daur
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