The United Nations promotes freedom of expression and freedom of the press as basic human rights and hence urges decision-makers to guarantee and foster media independence. However, as far as Pakistan is concerned, the killing of another scribe in the militant-controlled Swat valley shows the inability and defencelessness of the authority to promote basic democratic values.
The world media bodies have expressed outrage over the murder of Geo TV journalist Musa Khankhel, 28, who was covering a peace procession led by Muslim cleric Maulana Sufi Mohammad in Matta. As per reports, he was the fourth journalist who laid down his life in the valley while on duty since 2007. Earlier on January 24, a 40-year-old journalist named Aamir Wakil was murdered in Rawalpindi.
Khankhel’s beheaded body was found hours after he was abducted causing a major threat to the peace process in Swat. The Pakistan government has recently signed a peace pact with the Taliban. Pak has promised a full-fledged investigation in to the case, though it is completely blurred with the government’s surrender to the hardliner.
The killing has also shown how hollow is the claim of Swat Taliban head Maulana Fazlullah and Sufi Mohammad to bring peace in the region with the establishment of shariat law.
Highlighting the fact that several reporters don’t get any protection from the authority, a Paris based media rights body, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) expressed its solidarity and said: “Journalists in these regions who are victims of this war should also get the support of the authorities and the international community. Without that, these regions bordering Afghanistan are at risk of becoming news ‘black holes’”.
Another media organisation, Committee to Protect Journalists, said in a released statement: ‘We mourn the tragic death of Musa Khankhel and send our condolences to his family and colleagues. But grief and condolences are not enough--the government must act swiftly to bring his perpetrators to justice and protect journalists working in this volatile region.’
A report by RSF has revealed that at least 60 journalists and media assistants were killed last year because of their work as journalists while over 1000 were either detained or physically attacked or threatened. This shows that the press freedom situation has not improved over the years. All stakeholders in administration should adopt immediate measures to ensure free and safe environment for media persons who work in a climate of violence.
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