Media Release: Pakistan
January 11, 2013
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the Pakistan Federal Union
of Journalists (PFUJ) in strongly condemning the twin blasts in Quetta on
January 10, 2013 and mourning the death of two journalists who were killed in
the second blast as they rushed to cover the story.
The blasts took place
on Alamdar Road in Quetta at a snooker club killing 42 people, including Imran
Shaikh, cameraman with Samaa TV, and Mohammad Iqbal, photographer at NNI. Mohammad
Hasan, photographer with INP and Saifur Rehman, a senior reporter with Samaa
TV, were seriously injured.
The journalists had rushed
to the site of the first blast in the snooker club when the second blast took
place.
In a statement, PFUJ
President Pervaiz Shaukat said the ongoing violence in Balochistan was a matter
of serious concern. Journalists are particularly at risk and a number of
journalists and media persons have already lost their lives in the province.
"We have
particularly been focussing on training journalists in performing their duties
during blasts. The aim of our trainings has always been how to report and cover
disasters, blasts and conflicts," Mr Shaukat said. Mr Shaukat sent
his condolences to the families of the journalists and called upon the
provincial government to take appropriate measures to arrest those responsible.
PFUJ
Secretary-General Amin Yousuf also condemned the twin blasts. "We
will not tolerate government's continued apathy to the loss of precious lives.
We demand immediate protection of journalists," he added. It was also
announced that there will be a countrywide protest against the killings on
January 12, 2013.
He also regretted the
trend where TV channels do not name the media organisations to which the killed
journalists belong, and asked the Pakistan Broadcasting Association (PBA) to
take stock of the situation.
Journalists from the
Balochistan province face violence and threats from ethnic, sectarian and
separatist groups as well as from security forces and intelligence agencies.
According to the figures compiled by the Rural Media Network Pakistan (RMNP),
twenty six journalists have been killed in the Balochistan province during last
five years.
“This latest tragedy draws attention to
the serious dangers journalists in Pakistan face.” said IFJ Director Jacqueline
Park. We
join the PFUJ in calling on the provincial and national governments to take
immediate action to protect the lives of journalists.”
The PFUJ/IFJ report
on the State of Journalism in Balochistan Province, released on
World Press Freedom Day 2012, is available on the IFJ website here.
For
further information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific on +61 2 9333 0950
The IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 131
countries
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