Awami Workers Party leadership condemns attack on journalists, vicious campaign against Hamid Mir, others
KARACHI: The Awami Workers Party (AWP) expresses concern at the growing incidents of violence against journalists and move by the government to muzzle free media. The party considers these incidents and government moves an attack on freedom of expression and the press.
The party condemned the GEO management move of taking noted journalist and TV anchorperson Hamid Mir off air.
“It is yet another step towards muzzling dissenting views and strengthening the autocratic rule of the hybrid regime in Pakistan,” the party leadership said.
The party leadership in a statement on Thursday said: “It is disturbing that the hybrid regime is creating an environment of fear and wants to silence free media and dissenting views by introducing draconian law, the ‘Pakistan Media Development Authority’.
Pakistan has already been declared dangerous country for journalists and ranked 145th out of 180 countries in World Press Freedom Index for 2021.
Earlier this week Hamid Mir was barred from hosting the popular programme ‘Capital Talk’ by the Geo News management for criticizing the powerful security agency during a speech outside National Press Club calling accountability for repeated assaults on journalists in the country.
He was speaking at a protest rally against the recent attack on journalist and YouTuber Asad Ali Toor, accusing non-democratic forces of being behind the incident. Toor was severely beaten up by unidentified assailants inside his apartment in Islamabad’s posh Sector on May 25.
The party recalled the attack on former chairman of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority Absar Alam, who was shot and injured in April in a park.
“The party is of the view that a deliberate attempt is being made by the non-democratic forces to control the media blatantly and turn the country into an authoritarian state”, AWP President Yousuf Mustikhan said.
The attacks on outspoken journalists in open public spaces and inside their homes are very concerning and should be investigated and the culprits must be brought to book, said the veteran politician.
The online harassment of journalists and the institution of fake sedition cases against them by trolls, questioning their credibility, and hurling threats against them are dangerous moves and must be stopped, AWP general secretary Akhtar Hussain said.
The government’s move to push through the Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA) Ordinance 2021, is akin to media martial law to subject media oversight under one draconian authority, he said.
The online harassment of the journalists by armies of trolls and filing of fake sedition cases against them, questioning their credibility and hurling threats against them are dangerous moves and must be stopped, AWP general secretary Akhtar Hussain said.
The government’s move to push through the Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA) Ordinance 2021, is akin to media martial law to subject media oversight under one draconian authority, he said.
He was of the view that the government instead of addressing the concerns of the media workers and accepting their genuine demand of end to impunity for violence and harassment of journalists, the hybrid regime through PMDA wants to formalise censorship and punish them through media tribunals.
The media is facing worst crisis of its history as non-democratic forces and despotic regime have painted the press ‘corrupt’ and hostile to the state.
The party is of the view that free media defends the public’s interests, exposes the wrongdoings and corruption of corporate power, imperialism, and state institutions.
The government ministers ’claim of ensuring free media is just a lip service and exposed by the recent approval of the Journalists’ Protection Bill, a ploy to help Pakistan retain its GSP-Plus trading status with the EU. But the attack on Asad Toor and removal of Hamid Mir has exposed the hypocrisy of the state and the hybrid government.
AWP senior leaders Ismat Shahjahan, Dr Farzana Bari, Dr Bakhshal Thalho, Haider Zaman Khan, Dr Asim Sajjad, Farhat Abbas, Abida Choudhry, Ammar Rashid and Baba Jan expressed solidarity with the media workers and implored upon the progressive forces, working and middle classes to realize how important it is for them to fight against censorship and for the freedom of expression and the press.
The party leaders condemned the complicity of the media owners with non-democratic forces in strangulating the working class said that the economic murder and stifling of media workers, and journalists have increased manifold. During the last three years 14,000 journalists and non-journalist workers have been sacked from newspapers and TV channels.
“We condemn this savagery and express solidarity with the working class and media persons. We reaffirm our party stance and reassure them that we will stand with them.
The party call on all progressive and democratic forces to get united and launch struggle against the hybrid regime and stop state oppression and corporate sector’s loot, plunder of public resources.
The AWP termed the passage of the Sindh Protection of Journalists Bill, 2021 in the Provincial Assembly last week as a step in the right direction but reminded the provincial government of its responsibility to implement it and provide protection to media workers.
The party demands that an environment be created where an independent press can flourish, and that those who harass and kill members of the media are brought to justice.
The demanded justice for all those reporters including Ajay Lalwani, Aziz Memon, Salim Shahzad and many others in Balochistan, and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa who were killed while performing their duties.
The party also demands to make public the inquiry reports on kidnapping of Matiullah Jan and life attempt on Absar Alam and Hamid Mir.