JournalismPakistan.com | Published May 04, 2014 | Daud Malik
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ISLAMABAD: Lamenting “shameful divisions in the Pakistani media”, a statement of solidarity issued by more than 64 journalists, columnists and others on the World Press Freedom Day only served to highlight the bitterly divided media after the April 19 attack on Hamid Mir in Karachi.
The statement attempts to convey a message of defiance against closing down “any television or radio channel or newspaper” and pleading with the media owners to “rise above their corporate interests and rivalries and work together against threats to and attacks upon journalists in Pakistan.”
There is also a vow to stand united and avoid the pitfalls of division. “The shameful divisions in the Pakistani media are not only making journalists more vulnerable to attack and weakening our fight for justice, truth and democracy but also making us a spectacle for the world to see.”
A number of journalists including Abbas Nasir, former editor Dawn, Absar Alam, anchor Aaj News, Badar Alam, Editor, The Herald, I. A. Rehman, freelance contributor, former editor Pakistan Times, Jugnu Mohsin, Publisher & Managing Editor, The Friday Times, Najam Sethi, editor, The Friday Times, Murtaza Solangi, journalist, former Director General, Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation, Zarrar Khuhro, Assistant Editor (magazines), Dawn Media Group and Zubeida Mustafa, columnist, have backed the statement.
But at the same time, there are notable absentees. Among the 64 names backing the statement of solidarity, there is no Syed Talat Hussain, Moeed Pirzada, Arshad Sharif (pictured), Nazir Naji, Javed Chaudhry, and Nadeem Malik, to name just a few.
Addressed to the owners of all media companies in Pakistan, the statement urges them to support written policies/codes of ethics for the journalism work of their companies incorporating best practices on ethical journalism.
“Promote policies and mechanisms that reduce the expanding margins of risks to the safety of journalists and discourage unnecessary risk taking that endanger lives in the absence of written guidelines. Support efforts for appointment of special prosecutor(s), at the federal and provincial levels, along with necessary resources, dedicated to investigating and prosecuting cases of threats against media houses and attacks against journalists.”
Trying to forge unity, the statement calls for supporting “any journalist who is attacked or threatened, as if he or she is one of their own, even if associated with a rival company.”
The following is the list of journalists, columnists, and civil society representatives endorsing the statement:
1. Abbas Nasir, former editor Dawn; formerly with The News, BBC London
2. Absar Alam, Anchor Aaj News; formerly Director News Dunya News; Islamabad Bureau Chief Geo News, Resident Editor The Nation, Islamabad; Nieman Fellow 2005
3. Adnan Farooq, co-editor, Viewpoint Online
4. Adnan Rehmat, Civic Action Resources
5. Afia Salam, freelance journalist; formerly with Star, The Cricketer
6. Ahfaz ur Rahman, Magazine Editor Daily Express,
7. Ahmad Waleed, Controller News, Samaa TV
8. Amir Ghauri, journalist, broadcaster; formerly with BBC, Geo, Dunya
9. Anwer Sen Roy, BBC World Service (Urdu) London
10. Asma Shirazi, senior anchor, analyst Dawn News Islamabad, formerly with Geo, Samaa, ARY
11. Alefia T. Hussain, Consulting Editor, The News on Sunday
12. Amar Sindhu, freelance writer, columnist, Kawish
13. Asad Hashim, Web Correspondent, Al Jazeera English
14. Asha’ar Rehman, Resident Editor Lahore, Dawn
15. Ayesha Siddiqa, freelance columnist, analyst
16. Babar Ayaz, journalist and author
17. Babar Sattar, columnist, Dawn (formerly at The News); Co-host Siasat Aur Qanoon, Express TV
18. Badar Alam, Editor, The Herald, Dawn group
19. Bahzad Alam Khan, Editor, Metro & South, Dawn
20. Beena Sarwar, Editor Aman ki Asha, Jang Group, formerly with Star, The Frontier Post; Nieman Fellow 2006
21. Bina Shah, writer and columnist
22. Farah Zia, Editor, The News on Sunday
23. Farooq Sulehria, co-editor, Viewpoint Online
24. Farrukh Khan Pitafi, PTV anchor, columnist for Express Tribune, Roznama Dunya
25. Hamraz Ahsan, columnist daily Waqt; formerly European Desk Editor, Daily Jang, London
26. Husain Naqi, former editor The News Lahore, Sajjan (Punjabi)
27. I. A. Rehman, freelance contributor, former editor Pakistan Times
28. Javed Soomro, Senior Broadcast Journalist BBC Urdu TV, formerly with The News, Friday Times
29. Jugnu Mohsin, Publisher & Managing Editor, The Friday Times
30. Kamran Rehmat, Columnist; former Editor, The News; Res. Editor, Express Tribune; News Editor, DawnNews; political analyst Al Jazeera Online
31. Kamran Shafi, columnist, Express Tribune, formerly Dawn, The News
32. Khalid Chaudhry, freelance journalist; formerly Editor Daily Aaj Kal, chief editor Daily Musawaat, editor daily Nia Akhbar
33. Khurram Husain, freelance journalist, columnist, Dawn, formerly Express Tribune
34. Kiran Nazish, journalist, currently at The New York Times
35. M. Ismail Khan, former columnist, presently media and communication specialist with ADB
36. Malik Siraj Akbar, Editor-in-chief The Baloch Hal; former bureau chief Balochistan of Daily Times
37. Marvi Sirmed, columnist, The Nation
38. Masood Ashar writer, columnist Daily Jang; Editor Mashal Books, former Editor Daily Imroze
39. Mazhar Abbas, former Secretary-General Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ)
40. Mehmal Sarfraz, Deputy Secretary General, SAFMA
41. Mohammad Taqi, columnist, Daily Times
42. Mosharraf Zaidi, columnist, The News
43. Muneeb Farooq, senior anchor, Geo TV
44. Murtaza Solangi, journalist, former Director General, Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation
45. Najam Sethi, Editor, The Friday Times
46. Nasim Zehra, anchor/columnist.
47. Nasir Jamal, Chief Reporter, Dawn
48. Naziha Syed Ali, assistant editor, Dawn, former assistant editor, Newsline
49. Omar R. Qureshi, Op-ed Editor Express Tribune; formerly with Dawn, The News
50. Owais Aslam Ali, Secretary General, Pakistan Press Foundation; Nieman Fellow 2002
51. Owais Tohid, freelancer, former Executive Director Dunya, Director News Geo English, Sr Executive Director ARY
52. Qurratulain Zaman, author/contributor Global Voices
53. Raza Rumi, Consulting Editor, The Friday Times
54. Sabir Nazar, Editorial cartoonist, The Friday Times, Express Tribune
55. Sahar Ali, blogger, columnist, formerly with Panos South Asia
56. Sahar Habib Ghazi, Deputy Editor Global Voices
57. Sana Saleem, blogger, Director, Bolo Bhi
58. Shaheen Qureshi, Group Editor Coordination, Jang Group
59. Sirmed Manzoor, Gen. Sec. SAFMA – Pakistan; freelance columnist; formerly with The News and The Frontier Post
60. Talat Aslam, Senior Editor, The News, formerly with The Herald
61. Zahid Gishkori, Correspondent, Express Tribune, Alfred Friendly/D. Pearl Fellow 2014
62. Zaman Khan, columnist, Mashriq, former bureau chief Faisalabad, The Frontier Post
63. Zarrar Khuhro, Assistant Editor (magazines), Dawn Media Group
64. Zubeida Mustafa, Columnist, Pakistan Herald Publications Ltd.
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