News
Watchdog urges PM to ensure safety of journalists
* Demands the appointment of a full-time public prosecutor to fight back climate of fear
PESHAWAR: Freedom Network, a national media watchdog organisation, urged Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to establish a full-time public prosecutor to fight back climate of fear and intimidation among journalists that is growing.
The call for the prosecutor office comes ahead of International UN Day to End Impunity of Crimes against Journalists being observed on Sunday (November 2).
"Urgent appointment of a full-time federal special prosecutor with full executive authority is required to probe cases of attacks against journalists and filing their cases in courts to pursue justice," Freedom Network (FN) said Friday in an open letter addressed to the prime minister. The special prosecutor should have an appropriate office, staff and budget to do this job well, the letter said.
It added: "Since your government took power in 2013, the attacks on journalists continue. Prominent TV anchor Hamid Mir survived a life attempt in Karachi in March 2014 but Irshad Mastoi, the bureau chief of Online news agency in Quetta, was not that fortunate. He was killed in August this year."
"Urgent enactment of a special law on media safety, in consultation with journalists and media workers and their representatives, that should incorporate measures and mechanisms on their safety, and adequate compensation packages for families of the deceased, besides appropriate legal and medical assistance, should be made," the letter went on to demand Nawaz.
Over 100 journalists and media workers have been killed in Pakistan since 2000. At least 13, including a media assistant, have been killed in 2014 alone. Over half of all these journalists killed in Pakistan since 2000 were killed. Pakistan is ranked 158th out of the 180 countries on the 2014 Reporters Without Borders Global Freedom of Expression Index. Pakistan also ranks 9th on Committee to Protect Journalists Global Impunity Index of the top 10 worst offenders for unpunished murders of journalists.
By adopting Resolution 1738 on December 23, 2006, the United Nations Security Council emphasised the duty of UN member states to combat impunity for crimes against journalists. In a resolution passed on December 18, 2013, the UN General Assembly reminded member states of their obligation to deploy whatever means are necessary to bring those responsible for these crimes to justice.
"The key characteristic about all these journalists killed is that except for one - Wali Khan Babar - the killers of no other Pakistani journalist killed have been identified and punished. This lack of justice and failures by successive governments to find, prosecute and punish the killers has promoted impunity. This impunity - exemption from punishment - has emboldened the forces opposed to the public watchdog role of media and democracy itself to continue persecuting and executing journalists," the FN open letter reminded the prime minister.
Journalists working in rural and tribal areas, it went on to say, "are most at risk, particularly those working in the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, who are exposed to stress and danger from security agencies, militant groups, district administration and tribal leaders".
"The Pakistan Muslim League-N government should make sure all state institutions uphold the fundamental right of freedom of expression, which ensures that citizens are well informed and able to actively participate in society.
It should aim to create a free and safe environment for journalists and media workers, including social media producers, in two ways: by building partnerships among all stakeholders to introduce and harmonise mechanisms designed to reduce the danger - both in conflict and non-conflict situations - and by strengthening the legal mechanisms available nationally, regionally and globally, that support the right to freedom of expression and information, and supporting governments with their implementation," the open letter added.
It read: "Pakistan has widespread impunity, whereby political factions, militant groups and security forces are among the actors that threaten journalists and media workers in Pakistan. There is a climate of fear and intimidation among journalists that is growing."Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk