(MENAFN- Tribal News Network)
PESHAWAR, 26 June – The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government, led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), announced on Wednesday that a bill to protect journalists will soon be presented in the provincial assembly. This move aims to combat the impunity for crimes against media practitioners in the province.
Advisor to the KP Chief Minister on Information, Muhammad Ali Saif, shared this news at a conference titled“Safety of Journalists in Merged Tribal Districts.” The event, organized by Freedom Network, was held to launch a report on the impact of the merger of ex-FATA into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the media over the past five years.
Barrister Saif committed to collaborating with an Action Committee formed during the conference to discuss and incorporate proposals into the upcoming bill. This committee includes the presidents of the Khyber Union of Journalists, Peshawar Press Club, Tribal Union of Journalists, and Pakistan Journalists Safety Coalition.
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The 92-page report, authored by Aurangzaib Khan, revealed that press freedom and the safety of journalists in the tribal districts have not improved since the merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The report, titled "Newstribes of Northwest – Saving Journalism in Pakistan's Tribal Districts," was launched during a meeting of the Pakistan Journalists Safety Coalition (PJSC) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter in Peshawar on Wednesday.
"In 2006, journalists were advised to take measures for their safety. By 2014, they were losing sleep due to the lack of peace. In 2023, they face the same challenges," the report stated. "Various parties to the conflict remain dissatisfied with the media in tribal areas."
KP Minister for Religious Affairs, Sahibzada Muhammad Adnan Qadri, highlighted that the safety challenges faced by journalists are similar to those faced by residents of the tribal districts, underscoring the need for collective efforts to address these security issues.
Iqbal Khattak, Executive Director of Freedom Network, emphasized that the report aimed to understand the impact of political mainstreaming on the tribal media and its practitioners, focusing on the state of freedom of expression and the safety of journalists. The findings indicated little improvement in these areas.
"The merger has not strengthened the media or the rule of law. Instead, it has empowered tribes, maliks, elders, and warlords," the report noted. It also pointed out that the return of militancy has led to calls for peace being suppressed, with an unofficial ban on reporting such movements.
The report highlighted that the space for media and journalism has significantly shrunk in the merged districts due to the resurgence of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Journalists now rely more on official releases from institutions like the administration and the ISPR rather than conducting their investigations, reflecting an understanding of their reporting limits.
"Self-censorship is rampant. Local stories are often censored," tribal journalists reported, revealing limited freedom to cover events in these troubled regions.
These journalists also face threats from tribal traditions, where official backing and interference often lead to severe consequences, such as expulsion or fines, for reports deemed against tribal customs. The report warned that this mindset is reminiscent of the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) law.
Due to a media ban on reporting freely from merged districts, journalists have turned to technology and social networking applications to amplify their voices. However, frequent internet shutdowns force them to travel to nearby cities to file their stories.
The gender disparity in media remains significant, with very few female journalists covering the merged districts. Those who do often reside in bordering districts for safety reasons.
A resolution passed at the conference called on the provincial government, led by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, to urgently table the bill on journalists' protection to address the impunity for crimes against journalists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Speakers at the conference included Nasir Hussain, President of the Khyber Union of Journalists; Arshad Aziz, President of the Peshawar Press Club; Qazi Fazlullah, President of the Tribal Union of Journalists; and Saiful Islam Saifi, President of the PJSC-Khyber chapter.
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