Attack on Geo News team condemned

Attack on Geo News team condemned

ISLAMABAD, Aug 8:- The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has condemned an attack on Geo News team in Hyderabad and urged the media organizations to provide insurance cover to working journalists.

In a statement issued here on Sunday, the PFUJ pointed out that “Anwar Kamal, reporter of “Geo News” and his driver Nasim Ahmed received bullet injuries when unknown assailants opened fire on their vehicle inHyderabad, on last Saturday.

According to reports, Kamal was returning after covering a story on Dadu-Manchar Lake around 11pm when two persons opened indiscriminate fire on their vehicle near Thandi Sarak. Kamal and driver Ahmed suffered bullet wounds.

A bullet hit Kamal’s left shoulder while another hit Ahmed’s hand while one bullet also hit the van. Despite injury Ahmed did not stop and drove the van to CivilHospital where their condition was reported to be out of danger. Kamal believed that he was attacked because of his journalistic activities.

The PFUJ said it has once again proved that the media team was sent for reporting by media organisations without providing proper security and other gadgets, and media persons survived narrowly.

The PFUJ demanded that media persons should be provided security jackets for sending reporting and also life insurance.

Shamsul Islam Naz
Secretary General
PAKISTAN FEDERAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS
12-Nazimuddin Road, F-6/1
Islamabad, Pakistan
Phone Office +92(0)51 2870220-1
Facsimile +92(0)51 2870223
Cellular +92(0)300 8665523
http://www.shamsulislamnaz.com
http://www.pfuj.pk

Safety of media persons urged in Khar

Safety of media persons urged in Khar

ISLAMABAD, Aug 8 :- The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has expressed concern over attack on the house of Syed Zafarullah Banori in Tehsil Khar of the Bajaur agency and demanded the authorities to ensure protection of media persons.

According to the reports reaching the PFUJ Secretariat, six people were injured when unknown miscreants hurled hand-grenades on the house of a local journalist in Tehsil Khar on Monday last.

Local people and authorities said that unknown persons attacked the house of Syed Zafarullah with sophisticated weapons and hand-grenades in themidnight in the area of Bai China, about 14 km from Khar.

As a result, six inmates were seriously injured, who were shifted to Agency Headquarters Hospitalfrom where three critically injured were shifted toPeshawar. The authorities conducted a thorough search operation in the area soon after the attack and arrested several suspects.

Expressing concern over this incident, the PFUJ said that already a number of the journalists have been killed in the conflict zone and none of the killers has so far been brought to justice.

The PFUJ pointed out that the media persons in the conflict zones are working in very odd and hostile environment without any safety measures and protection.

It demanded of the authorities to ensure safety and protection of media persons.

Shamsul Islam Naz
Secretary General
PAKISTAN FEDERAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS
12-Nazimuddin Road, F-6/1
Islamabad, Pakistan
Phone Office +92(0)51 2870220-1
Facsimile +92(0)51 2870223
Cellular +92(0)300 8665523
http://www.shamsulislamnaz.com
http://www.pfuj.pk

PFUJ slams TTP threats to journalists

PFUJ slams TTP threats to journalists

ISLAMABAD, Aug 9:- The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has expressed concern over threats hurled on journalists by Tehrik Taliban Pakistan spokesman Azam Tariq who asked the “journalists to be impartial in their profession.”

“Media should avoid creating rifts in the ranks of mujahideen who are fighting a holy war,” the TTP spokesman said while addressing media organisations on phone from an undisclosed location.

He also said that their skirmishes with security forces were going on in different parts of South Waziristan and Orakzai agencies”.

Expressing concern over such sorry state of affairs, the PFUJ pointed out that the life of media persons working in the conflict zone was in “danger” and right of the reporting is being suppressed by such intimidations and threats, which should be taken very seriously.

The PFUJ urged the government to take stock of the situation and make appropriate arrangements for safety and protection of media persons working in tribal belts.

Shamsul Islam Naz
Secretary General
PAKISTAN FEDERAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS
12-Nazimuddin Road, F-6/1
Islamabad, Pakistan
Phone Office +92(0)51 2870220-1
Facsimile +92(0)51 2870223
Cellular +92(0)300 8665523
http://www.shamsulislamnaz.com
http://www.pfuj.pk

PFUJ slams TTP threats to journalists

PFUJ slams TTP threats to journalists

ISLAMABAD, Aug 9:- The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has expressed concern over threats hurled on journalists by Tehrik Taliban Pakistan spokesman Azam Tariq who asked the “journalists to be impartial in their profession.”

“Media should avoid creating rifts in the ranks of mujahideen who are fighting a holy war,” the TTP spokesman said while addressing media organisations on phone from an undisclosed location.

He also said that their skirmishes with security forces were going on in different parts of South Waziristan and Orakzai agencies”.

Expressing concern over such sorry state of affairs, the PFUJ pointed out that the life of media persons working in the conflict zone was in “danger” and right of the reporting is being suppressed by such intimidations and threats, which should be taken very seriously.

The PFUJ urged the government to take stock of the situation and make appropriate arrangements for safety and protection of media persons working in tribal belts.

Shamsul Islam Naz
Secretary General
PAKISTAN FEDERAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS
12-Nazimuddin Road, F-6/1
Islamabad, Pakistan
Phone Office +92(0)51 2870220-1
Facsimile +92(0)51 2870223
Cellular +92(0)300 8665523
http://www.shamsulislamnaz.com
http://www.pfuj.pk

PFUJ lays stress on unity

PFUJ lays stress on unity

ISLAMABAD, Aug 9: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has said that at a time when the country is passing through a critical period as floods have affected millions of people and there is a threat of terrorism, the country needs unity, and it is high time that all democratic forces should shun their differences to save the country from those who have launched an open war on the country and for helping millions of flood hit people.

Taking serious notice of complaints of a leading media group and some channels regarding “intimidation and tactics to subjugate free media,” the PFUJ urged the government and media tycoons to take into account the prevailing situation where all state organs, including media persons, are under direct target of terrorists, besides over 20 million are directly affected with the wrath of one of the worst ever floods in Pakistan.

The entire country is affected by floods and rains and millions of people have lost home and hearths or have suffered economic losses which is stated to be over 40 billion US dollars.

At such a critical juncture where miseries of the affected people cannot be resolved by the government alone, we need unity in our ranks and files, the PFUJ argued.

It further said that that the current state of affairs demands that all institutions in the country help calm down the situation and work together to help the flood stricken people to strengthen democracy, and save the country from the wrath of non-state actors and aftermath of the floods.

It also said that efforts be made to rehabilitate the flood affected population which is a gigantic task and still we are under the grip of floods and devastating rains, while the non state actors are also active in their nefarious designs.

Expressing concern over on-going tug of war between the government and the Geo / Jang group, the PFUJ pleaded that it was high time such a tense situation is resolved with prudence in the wake of the precarious situation of the country.

However, the PFUJ made it clear that any attempt to victimise the group would be taken very seriously.

The PFUJ observed that owing to tussle between government and media group the livelihood of hundreds and thousands of workers associated with the Jang Group would also jeopardize.

The PFUJ, which has a long and golden history of struggle and had rendered sacrifices to safeguard freedom of the press and expression during successive military dictatorships and would continue its fight to protect press freedom and democracy in Pakistan, it said.

To pursue these twin objectives, the PFUJ has stressed the government to accept media criticism with open heart which would help it improve governance, accountability, transparency and socio-economic situation in the country.

The PPP government has a good record to deal the media with open heart and it should maintain such a record which would ultimately enhance its image in the country and abroad.

The PFUJ is optimistic that the PPP government, which has a history of sacrifices for a democratic Pakistan, would continue to follow the golden principles envisioned by its assassinated leadership, for the cause of democratic values, rule of law, betterment of oppressed and depressed classes.

The PFUJ said that it is also a high time for media conglomerates, to respect rule of law, extend all the lawful benefits to their employees in line with the 7th Wage Board Award, ensure safety and protection of media persons, life insurance and their capacity building.

This is the same apathy and callousness which the media owners have been displaying for years by denying financial rights in the shape of 7th Wage Award to their employees while they were themselves building huge empires, the PFUJ regretted.

The PFUJ urged the media owners to ensure payment of salaries to their employees which are unpaid in most of media houses for months together, It also demanded reinstatement of all sacked employees.

The PFUJ reminded that in the past two years over 600 media workers have been sacked without payment of any lawful dues and in violation of laws. The media owners should also consider such cases for reinstatement.

Shamsul Islam Naz
Secretary General
PAKISTAN FEDERAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS
12-Nazimuddin Road, F-6/1
Islamabad, Pakistan
Phone Office +92(0)51 2870220-1
Facsimile +92(0)51 2870223
Cellular +92(0)300 8665523
http://www.shamsulislamnaz.com
http://www.pfuj.pk

Pakistani Jourablists Plight

Wages of government employees of pakistan has been increased, in budget 2009-2010 by 15 %. Practice of increasing salary is a “feature of every budget” right from 1996-1997

But do you know that salary of Newspaper employees including Journalists were re-fixed in 2000 under 7^th Wage Board Award which was suppose to operative w.e.f. 1^st July 2000. However, media owners went in the SC got a stay order instead of implementing the same. After 4 year long battle Newspaper Employees won the case from the S.C. Even then media owners again went in the Sindh High Court and got restrain order which is still operative. The media owners counsel taking adjournments of case by one pretext or other.

From 1996-1997 todate salary of law enforcing agencies, armed forces, government employees, private sectors have gone up at lest 200 percent to 300 percent, yet the media owners are do not ready to make payment of the salary of as per price hike & froced to get salary as per 1996 6th Wage Board Award.

Please judge – exploitation of media owners – who considers “media persons do not need to take meal for themselves, their kids, can live without cloth, bread, shelter, medical facilities, and education for their kids, perform their professional assignments without job protection, life insurance, life security? In such environment how a nation can take pride of living in the “reality”.

The journalists – media persons by and large blamed by all the segment of the society for misreporting, misquoting, misinforming. misleading, defaming, each and every institutions, political parties, private sector & even individuals for “acquiring”, various concessions, ulterior motives, however, ground realities are otherwise. It was only and only media owners in both print and electronic having a right to “decide the contents to be published in the print media – or transmitted / air / telecasted in the electronic media. Media persons have just to report. Entire, padding, addition, deletion, twisting the facts, truth…is a “discretion” and right of the media owners. They do not believe on rule of law, truth, reality, abide their legal obligations, make payment to their employees according to law of the land. Yet they claim champion of the human rights, protections of rights of oppressed, depressed classes, independence of judiciary, democracy, respect, decency, grace, honour, dignity of human.

Kindly judge their claims from their practice…

BY

Shamsul Islam Naz
Secretary General
PAKISTAN FEDERAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS
12-Nazimuddin Road, F-6/1,
Islamabad, Pakistan.
Phone Office +92(0)51 2870220-1
Facsimile +92(0)51 2870223
Cellular +92(0)300 8665523
http://www.pfuj.info

http://www.shamsulislamnaz.com