Protesting attacks on media: Najam Sethi's suggestions

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published March 29, 2014

ISLAMABAD: Senior journalist and analyst Najam Sethi Saturday suggested that journalists and media houses should consider blacking out coverage of extremist organizations for a specified period to protest attacks against them.

He was speaking on Geo Television in his current affairs program Aapas Ki Baat, a part of which focused on Friday's attack on Express News Television anchor Raza Rumi.

Rumi came under attack near Raja Market in Lahore as he headed home after hosting his show. Although he miraculously survived, his driver was killed and a guard injured.

Sethi said that just as journalists in Afghanistan announced boycott of Taliban's coverage for 15 days following the killing of their colleague Sardar Ahmad, his wife and two children, the Pakistani media needed to take similar steps.

He however, lamented that media organizations in Pakistan were not united and did not seem to back each other in times of distress. Organizations that become victims splash the news on the front page but the same news is not given the importance and space by their competitors, he pointed out.

Sethi said that although journalists unions stage protests over such attacks, the media houses appear unmoved and do not provide the needed support to journalists.

He also suggested the extremist organizations needed to be told that by trying to silence the media, they were actually shooting themselves in the foot. A complete boycott of their coverage would actually be quite troublesome for them.

Even a win can't hide Pakistan's structural collapse in cricket

 June 11, 2025:  Pakistan celebrated a narrow win over Bangladesh, but beneath the jubilation lies a deeper crisis—from sidelined veterans to a collapsing domestic structure—signaling an urgent need for cricket reform.

Journalists stage walkout at post-budget briefing over government's dismissive attitude

 June 11, 2025:  Journalists walked out of the post-budget press conference in Islamabad to protest the absence of a technical briefing and the government's dismissive behavior, calling it unacceptable and intolerable.

Legal storm brews as Dr. Nauman Niaz serves defamation notice on Shoaib Akhtar

 May 31, 2025:  Dr. Nauman Niaz has issued a defamation notice to Shoaib Akhtar over derogatory remarks made during a recent broadcast, reigniting a longstanding media feud between the two prominent figures in Pakistan.

HRCP urges complete repeal of PECA, citing threats to free speech and civil liberties

 May 30, 2025:  The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has demanded the full repeal of PECA, citing its vague language, coercive powers, and threats to free speech and digital rights in Pakistan.

PFUJ condemns murder of journalist Syed Mohammad Shah, urges immediate justice

 May 30, 2025:  The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has condemned the murder of journalist Syed Mohammed Shah in Jacobabad, calling for urgent justice and improved safety for media professionals in Sindh.

State within a state? Police block reinstated Jang employees from resuming duties

 May 26, 2025:  In Rawalpindi, police allegedly side with Jang Group to block 66 reinstated employees from resuming work despite court orders, drawing sharp criticism from unions and press freedom advocates.

PFUJ slams Jang Group's 'economic massacre' after mass firing of over 80 workers

 May 25, 2025:  PFUJ condemns the Jang Group's decision to dismiss over 80 employees in Rawalpindi, calling it an 'economic massacre.' The union warns of nationwide protests if workers are not reinstated.

Labor rights trampled: Daily Jang defies court, terminates over 80 employees

 May 25, 2025:  Daily Jang Rawalpindi has terminated over 80 employees, including female staff, despite multiple court rulings in their favor—raising concerns over labor rights violations and misuse of authority in Pakistani media.