Will Pakistani journalists be diverted from truth? - People's Daily Online 20:34, December 22, 2009
At least three died and 17 others received serious injuries when a suicide bomber blew up himself before the Peshawar Press Club last Thursday.
Information Minister of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province(NWFP) Mian Iftihar Hussain visited the site and said that terrorists "can't weak our well power".
"It is the agenda of militants to horrify us but we would stand on our motto until we finished them, because they are not friend of human being," he said. "All the people should cooperate with the administration and security agencies."
The minister said that journalists have been targeted as they are writing truth at the time when the terrorists are targeting mosques, houses, markets and public places.
He expressed sympathy with the journalist community and hoped that journalists will continue their mission to expose militants despite such attacks.
Hussain said that the government will continue campaign against militants and such attacks will not deter the government from its resolve to eliminate terrorists.
There is no sign of decreases in terrorist activities and they are working on their agenda in NWFP.
Umar Farooq, a Peshawar-based journalist, told Xinhua by phone that it was the professionalism of media persons that demands corroboration for the credibility of news reports and they would always uphold the professional norms of journalism even at the cost of their own lives and no one can mute the voice of journalists.
Zalan Mamand, chief editor of the Urdu daily "Such", said, "It is a challenge for us people and we will be the conqueror of this fight."
"The attack on Peshawar Press Club is not only an attack on the club but it is clearly an attack on people's mind, it is an attack to deprive people from basic rights of speaking and writing," he said. "I am from the directive of all the journalistic community condemning it because it is assaulting on freedom of journalism," he said.
Another journalist who, Zia ul Amin, another journalist working for daily Mashriq, said "the extremists are weak and they are trying to impose their agenda upon us which we are rejecting all the times."
It is clear that militants were threatening the press club and the president of the Peshawar Press Club has received threats several times. It is the agenda of those people to horrify those organizations which are against them. Media, the lone source for masses through which they could convey their grievances to the rulers is being targeted by terrorists who want to conceal their misdeeds and protect their evil designs.
Media have been targeted for upholding the cause of truth as on Tuesday, terrorist attacked the building of Peshawar Press Club where journalist gathered on daily basis to attend important media events.
The killing of Peshawar-based Afghan journalist Janullah Hashimzada, was published in different newspapers on August 26, and a number of journalists including Behroz Khan, Hayatullah, Abdul Aziz Shaheen, Musa Khankhel, Ibrahim Jan, Tahir Awan, Mohammad Imran and so many others has either been killed or abducted and tortured by these anti-state elements in the recent past and the committees constituted by the government to apprehend the culprits behind the scene has always failed and nothing has been done practically to protect the media persons.
While commenting on the issue, people from different walks of life said that militants' current onslaught against media persons is very alarming because media is one of the important pillars forestablishing democratic norms at the grass root level and helping the government in resolving the masses' problems.
They further said that the journalist fraternity, which is fighting the war of people's rights, is also on the hit list of these monsters and the government should take stern action against those involved in the abduction and killing of journalists.　
Source:Xinhua
