Pakistan failing to protect journalists, says Amnesty Skip to main content

Pakistan failing to protect journalists, says Amnesty

Pakistani journalists hold placards and photographs bearing the image of Geo television journalist Hamid Mir during a protest against the attack on Mir by gunmen in Islamabad on April 23, 2014. News of Hamid Mir's shooting has shocked journalists and other Pakistanis

Related Stories

Pakistan's authorities have "almost completely failed" to protect journalists, says human rights group Amnesty International in a new report.

It documented in detail 34 cases of journalists being killed since the end of military rule in 2008.

Of these, 13 happened in insurgency-hit Balochistan province. Nine were in the north-west where the Taliban are based.

Only one case since 2002 has seen the killers convicted - that of the 2011 murder of Wali Khan Babar.

But even in this case there were "serious concerns" about whether it was a fair trial, says Amnesty.

Pakistan is one of the world's most dangerous countries for journalists, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, which has also extensively documented cases of attacks on reporters in the country.

The Amnesty report comes on the heels of the widely-reported shooting of Hamid Mir, one of Pakistan's best known television presenters.

On 19 April, he was hit six times in the abdomen and legs after his car was fired on by men on motorbikes as he was leaving Karachi airport.
Pakistani journalist Raza Rumi was shot at in March while travelling in a car in Lahore  
Raza Rumi was shot at in March but survived
Another television anchor Raza Rumi was also shot at in March while he was in his car in Lahore. His driver was killed.

Numerous journalists interviewed by Amnesty complained of harassment or attacks by people said to be connected to Pakistan's military spy agency, the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence.

The agency is said to target those who persist with reporting on sensitive national security topics, such as security lapses, or alleged links between the military and the Taliban.
Amnesty says there is "a clear pattern of methodical harassment", starting with threatening phone calls and progressing to outright harassment, abduction, torture and even assassination.

Previous accusations of this nature have been denied by the authorities.
Other organisations such as powerful political groups, the Taliban and ethnic armed groups also target journalists, Amnesty says.

In March, Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif pledged to do more to protect journalists.
But more needs to be done, says Amnesty's deputy Asia-Pacific director David Griffiths.
"A critical step will be for Pakistan to investigate its own military and intelligence agencies and ensure that those responsible for human rights violations against journalists are brought to justice. This will send a powerful signal to those who target journalists that they no longer have free rein," he said.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-27207448
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Chronology of the Press in Burma

1836 – 1846 * During this period the first English-language newspaper was launched under British-ruled Tenasserim, southern  Burma . The first ethnic Karen-language and Burmese-language newspapers also appear in this period.     March 3, 1836 —The first English-language newspaper,  The Maulmain Chronicle , appears in the city of Moulmein in British-ruled Tenasserim. The paper, first published by a British official named E.A. Blundell, continued up until the 1950s. September 1842 —Tavoy’s  Hsa-tu-gaw  (the  Morning Star ), a monthly publication in the Karen-language of  Sgaw ,  is established by the Baptist mission. It is the first ethnic language newspaper. Circulation reached about three hundred until its publication ceased in 1849. January 1843 —The Baptist mission publishes a monthly newspaper, the Christian  Dhamma  Thadinsa  (the  Religious Herald ), in ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sri Bhaddanta Chandramani Mahathera

The Life Story of A Distinguished And Outstanding Bhikkhu The Most Venerable Saradawpharagree Sri Bhaddanta Chandramani Mahathera The Buddhist missionary Saradaw Ashin U Chandramani was endowed with great gifts and led a famous and long life. He was a very well known, distinguished and outstanding Bhikkhu Mahathera. While living in the Kushinagar Monastery, a place close to where the Lord Buddha had passed away to Nirvana, the Government of India had offered, and he had accepted, the highest, most honourable and respected title "Guru Guru MahaGuru". He became the first ever President of all Buddhists in India.A World Buddhist Conference took place in Kathmandu during the reign of King Mahindra of Nepal. The Conference was very well attended by over one hundred thousand Buddhists from various parts of the world and it was opened by King Mahindra himself. As requested by the King, Saradawpharagree blessed all the participants with the power of Triple Gems...
Post a Comment
Read more

Thai penis whitening trend raises eyebrows

Image copyright LELUXHOSPITAL Image caption Authorities warn the procedure could be quite painful A supposed trend of penis whitening has captivated Thailand in recent days and left it asking if the country's beauty industry is taking things too far. Skin whitening is nothing new in many Asian countries, where darker skin is often associated with outdoor labour, therefore, being poorer. But even so, when a clip of a clinic's latest intriguing procedure was posted online, it quickly went viral. Thailand's health ministry has since issued a warning over the procedure. The BBC Thai service spoke to one patient who had undergone the treatment, who told them: "I wanted to feel more confident in my swimming briefs". The 30-year-old said his first session of several was two months ago, and he had since seen a definite change in the shade. 'What for?' The original Facebook post from the clinic offering the treatment, which uses lasers to break do...
1 comment
Read more