Pakistan 2nd most dangerous country for journalists: UNESCO

AAJ TV

Thursday, marks the day for “World Press Freedom day” but journalists within Pakistan should not get relieved as UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, adjudged Pakistan to be the second most dangerous with respect to the safety of journalists. Pakistan has been ranked second, behind Mexico, in terms of safety conditions for journalists. UNESCO, in its report titled “Safety and the danger of Impunity” states that media personnel are slaughtered each year within the Pakistani region and the number has been continually increasing. The report has further indicated that a number of 16 journalists were murdered within Pakistan in the year 2010-2011. This figure, when compared to the figure compiled by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) gives a different perspective. According to CPJ’s figures, almost 42 journalists have been murdered since 1992. Hence the 2010-2011 figures are almost 38% of the total figure. This shows that the year 2010-2011 saw a vast increase in journalists being slaughtered within the country. Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) also issued their report on the eve of “World Press Freedom day”. The report suggested that Pakistan to be the dangerous most country for journalists by ranking it at the top position. The UNESCO report also suggests that freelance journalists have been targeted more promptly than normal staffers. The freelancers amounted to 20% of the total. Almost 14 journalists have lost their lives in the previous year while being on work. The names include: Javed Naseer Rind of Daily Tawar, Faisal Qureshi of London Post, Shafiullah Khan of The News in Wah Cantonment, Asfandyar Khan of Akhbar-i-Khyber in Peshawar; Saleem Shahzad of Asia Times Online, Nasarullah Khan Afridi, freelance journalist, and Wali Khan Babar of Geo. While in 2012, Mukarram Khan was brutally murdered by two armed men on 17 January, 2012 near Peshawar. Murtaza Razvi, a senior assistant editor and head of magazines at Dawn, was also found, anonymously murdered on 19th April, 2012. UNESCO has come up with an arrangement to help with the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity. The UN organization intends to create a free and safe working environment for media workers in both conflict and non-conflict zone within the entire world. “The safety of journalists is essential to upholding Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that guarantees the right to freedom of expression,” UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova stated. Seminars are being held within Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan on the World Press Freedom day” in order to present challenges on security issues faced by journalists.