Recognition for FATA journalists stressed

Speakers call for providing security to journalists; compensation to families of the slain.

ISLAMABAD:

In the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), journalists are not allowed to raise their voices or their pens due the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR).  Often labelled “draconian,” the British-era regulations until August 2011 did not even give residents the right to appeal decisions passed by the Fata political agent.

Along these lines, a discussion on “Reporters within borders: Reporting in Fata under FCR” was held here on Tuesday. Pakistan People’s Party Senator Farhatullah Babar said the FCR was put into effect almost a century ago and several attempts at reforming these regulations have not succeeded. However, he assured that political reforms will be implemented in Fata.

Babar also promised to bring up the assassination of the journalist Hayatullah in the Senate. “We will ask why the commission’s report has not been made public,” he said. He added that families of slain journalists should receive compensation from the state. A dozen journalists have lost their lives in Fata since 9/11, he added.

Tribal Union of Journalists (TUJ) President Safdar Hayat Dawar said Fata journalists put their lives at risk every day in the line of duty and their services should be recognised.

The ceremony also provided an opportunity to pay tribute to the TUJ, which has been awarded the FES Human Rights Award for 2012.

“The TUJ exemplifies the courage of local journalists, who risk their lives to provide the world with crucial background information from the ‘black box’ of the Afghan-Pakistani border region,” said Philipp Kauppert, resident director of Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES).

A documentary made on the security of tribal areas’ journalists was also screened at the event. The event was hosted by the German political foundation FES in collaboration with TUJ.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 29^th, 2012.