By: Sher Zada,
A couple of days before the World Press Freedom Day, the news of Sajid Hussain’s death in Sweden squirrelled the atrocities against Pakistani journalists inside and outside Pakistan. The story of Mr. Hussain death covered by leading western and Pakistani dailies spurred a new wave of worries in the journalistic circles across Pakistan. His body was found on April 23 in the Fyris River outside Uppsala, Sweden .Sajid Hussain was running a digital media outlet called Balochistan Times. However social media has been flooding on contrasts and portrayed the character of Mr. Hussain differently, his sympathizers consider that he was murdered by the Pakistani secret agencies for his anti-establishment and anti-Pakistan postures, while pro state activists admire his death and nullified possible involvement of spying agencies of Pakistan. To investigate the reality multiple attempts were made to access the official website of Balochistan Times, but unfortunately all gone in vain.
Sajid Hussain was not the only person in the field of journalism who lost his life being struggling to raise voice for the silenced and marginalized community of his own, but many of his counterparts had have been facing the same threats and challenges by the invisible narcissist forces. According to Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) since 1992 till now 68 journalists and media persons have been killed in Pakistan. According Freedom Network’s report at least 91 cases, including seven murders of journalists and a blogger, attacks and other violations, against media and media persons have been documented in Pakistan over the course of one year – between May 2019 and April 2020. Working in the field of journalism is quite alarming these days, on one side journalists are vulnerable to threats from state and none state actors, while on other side they are improvised to financial cuts imposed by the government. More than 300 newspapers are daily published in Pakistan, similarly today, there are more than 90 satellite TV Channels, 4983 cable operators, 34 international TV channels and 210 FM Radio stations, while the no of digital media channels is increasing day by day. Pakistani media industry has reached to revolutionary stage; however since 2018 general election strict limitation clouded on media industry that led to financial cut up that ultimately caused unemployed of thousands of employees , paused salaries as media industry is mostly dependent upon advertisements , the payment of advertisements given by government that are still to be paid. Besides a few pro TV channels and newspapers that are sponsored by state’s institutions majority are under crisis. Since 2002 though media boomed up but the conditions favoring state’s narrative have not changed yet. It seems that journalistic martial law has been imposed on media industry. Especially the investigative journalism is under the radar of the state’s narrators. Which halted media from covering the truth and obsolete media performance to bow in the shoe of a few powerful invisible persons, and has been endangering the sacred realm of journalism i.e. bring the truth before the masses.
Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) a journalist rights body has been criticizing government policy and held it responsible for the bankruptcy of media industry. From last two years PFUJ demanding to take measures to support the media industry, according to PFUJ the government is bifurcating constitutional status of media by revoking 25 percent quota in terms of press advertisements ,Moreover PFUJ asked the government to bound the media houses to current 40-50 percent salary payments that has been cut off from last years. This Sunday, on May 3, 2020 PFUJ is going to organize “Protect Journalist Movement”, media outlets, professionals, countrywide press clubs members abiding all Corona preventive protocols issued by the government, will gather in front of Parliament house and record their protest till their demands heard. The government should take PFUJ call otherwise, journalists will boycott of coverage government matters. There is sheer need that state should revise its media monitoring policy, take steps for the protection of journalists and other media persons and ensure the existence of its fourth pillar i.e. media in practical .That will help state in building image Pakistan as a real republic by the people and for the people.
The writer is Islamabad based Journalist and Working Staff Member at Daily Parliament Times
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