Tribal Union of Journalists (TUJ) President Sher Khan Afridi on Saturday said 30 journalists hailing from North Waziristan have also been affected from the ongoing military operation Zarb-e-Azb and the government should announce a special financial package for them.
Speaking to journalists at Peshawar Press Club, Sher Khan said the federal government should announce a package for these affected journalists from the agency as nearly all of them have become internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in different districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa under dire circumstances.
He demanded the government accommodate them and provide shelter facilities in Bannu or in Peshawar in addition to providing basic education along with health facilities to the families of the affected journalists.
Qadir Dawar, a journalist from the restive agency, said a number of journalists have shifted from North Waziristan to settled areas and are living in dismal conditions.
Dawar explained many children and women contracted cholera and diarrhea during the evacuation. He said it took him more than two days to reach Bannu while it generally takes 40 minutes.
Lashing out at media organisations, TUJ senior member Mushtaram Khan said it was condemnable that none of the national media outlets try to raise a voice for journalists of the area or do something to compensate them. TUJ members said most of the journalists associated with the tribal areas are working from Peshawar or cities nearest to Fata.
They demanded the government establish a tribal media centre for them, adding the government should come up with an emergency package for the journalists working on the front lines.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 29th, 2014.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ