In Pakistan we shoot journalists' - and torture and kidnap them too
As Amnesty International launches a new report exposing the danger of reporting news in Pakistan, Shaista Aziz reflects on the women who choose to work there
While visiting family in Pakistan as a teenager, a former government minister who had popped in to see my uncle, asked me what I wanted to do after my studies.
He found my answer hysterical: "Beta (child)," he said, "in Pakistan we shoot journalists. Think about becoming a lawyer."
He wasn't wrong. In Pakistan 'we' do shoot journalists, and torture and kidnap journalists. "We" do the same to lawyers. And everyday citizens.
The international spotlight is again on Pakistan's treatment of journalists because of the rise in attacks since the start of the year. These attacks have lead to a ferocious slanging match in the media about who is to blame. Rumours and myths are pumped out as fact in a frenzied tone across Pakistan's many 24hour news channels.
Two weeks ago, one of Pakistan's most high profile TV anchors, Hamid Mir, the only journalist to have interviewed Osama Bin Laden after 9/11, was shot on his way to his studios.
Mir survived. It’s not clear who shot him - his family blames the country’s security apparatus.
Another TV journalist who survived an assassination attempt is Raza Rumi, whose car was sprayed with bullets last month in Lahore, killing his driver.
According to
Amnesty International, in a new report today, at least eight journalists have been killed in Pakistan since the first democratically elected government took office in June 2013.
Amnesty's report, entitled
"A bullet has been chosen for you" , describes in detail the threats from all sides.
Some 29 journalists have been killed in the past four years, making Pakistan one of the world’s most dangerous places to be a journalist. The Taliban has declared war against those deemed “liberal” or “peddling lies” and holds a "hit list" of journalists.
While most attacks are against men - journalism in Pakistan like much of the world remains male-dominated - women are not immune and face a gamut of difficulties.
Until earlier this year I worked with CNN based in Islamabad, traveling across Peshawar, the Swat Valley and beyond. Like most international news operations we had a detailed protocol for safety.
One day, covering a huge anti-drone protest in Peshawar, our cameraman and security guard advised the female correspondent and I that it wasn’t safe for us to be amongst the crowds. They would stay on to gather footage but wanted us to leave, concerned we could be harassed or attacked.
I told our cameraman and security guard that if it wasn't safe for us, it wasn't safe for them. We were a team. In the end we finished filming, without incident.
I spoke to several women working in broadcast and print to ask their experiences of working in one of the world’s most hostile countries.
Most pointed to constant sexual harassment – like inappropriate text messages at inappropriate times of day. One Islamabad journalist told me: "I only feel safe because of my class and status. This offers me a degree of protection. It's a given that my phone calls are monitored and I'm tracked by the security agencies. I do my work and keep my head down. When a sensitive story is about to go public, I arrange to leave the country for a while until the dust settles. I'm aware not all journalists can do this."
Another said: "I don't feel threatened by the militants because like the majority of Pakistani woman journalists, our male editors and superiors won't let us cover these stories because being a woman means we can't access the right people to talk to us. These stories become no go areas for us. I mostly feel vulnerable working as a journalist because I'm a Shia. That puts my life in danger. I take the necessary precautions and I'm mindful that my identity could lead to me being targeted."
All the journalists described having to work harder than the men to prove themselves. One TV news producer said: “I’ve had to tread carefully, its a conservative and corrupt country, divulging as little information about myself as possible and demonstrating my own virtuosity in order to be accepted. It is remarkable how differently men treat you if you tell them you are married!"
She won’t shy away from stories about militancy and security. "Terrorist groups in Pakistan tend not to speak to women, however I’ve made headway in connecting with them, usually remaining 'veiled' behind a phone line. As a woman I’m determined not to compromise out of fear of a backlash from radical elements. However, I remain vigilant. Women who choose this profession remain easy prey for male colleagues and militants alike."
'In Pakistan we shoot journalists' - and torture and kidnap them too | From the Observer | Observer.co.uk
although it only shows itself when i have to strike your head with something as hard as a brick haha
otherwise your skull aint worthy of even having anything positive anymore...dont ya worry will make you very sensible in the end with my continues act of volience
its obvious! very very obvious!
you are sucha critic
...too difficult to go out
sara din tu laptop games ya movies/songs suntey retey hain....
