Concern Over Increasing Intolerance

Journalists, representatives of civil society and intellectuals at a seminar on ‘Rising intolerance and media freedom’ have expressed deepest shock and concern over increasing tide of intolerance and new threats against freedom of expression and attacks on girls schools, CD, video and barber shops.

The seminar was organised by South Asian Free Media Association Pakistan here Saturday. The moot called upon media outlets to discourage and boycott the extremist elements and should not make out a hero out of those who profess violence and show intolerance to different views. The declaration urged the government to stop elements encroaching upon the fundamental rights of the citizens.

HRCP President Asma Jehangir said that why there should be writ of the state when state organs are involved in such acts. She said that the violent elements are not extremists following an ideology but are mercenaries who generate money by kidnapping, poppy trade and looting transit caravans.

Renowned journalist Najam Sethi said that Taliban threatened his Urdu newspaper ‘Aaj-Kal’ in FATA, Swat and Peshawar. He said that we moved to Islamabad and we are facing problems in the Federal Metropolis as well as in Lahore. Najam Sethi vowed not to be cowed down and make the country free of Talibanisation.

Mazhar Abbas, General-Secretary PFUJ, said that Pakistani establishment is not serious about extremism as it is its own baby. You protect them even today, he lamented. Secretary-General SAFMA Imtiaz Alam said that media and civil society is also responsible for the state of affairs because we did not strongly react when CD shops which spread knowledge were bombed and girl schools were closed.

Asma Shirazi from a private TV channel said that Talibanisation has become the biggest problem of the country. She said that agencies give money to media for highlighting or downplaying Lal Masjid issue and some journalists also acted as black sheep by acting on the ‘press advices’ of the agencies.

Safma Islamabad President Nusrat Javeed asked if thousands of girls were killed in Lal Masjid, where are their addresses. Dr Tariq Rehman, columnist Kamran Shafi, Asim Sajjad of People’s Rights Movement, Afzal Khan, Sheharyar Khan of RIUJ, Tahira Abdullah and Sadaf Arshad also spoke on the occasion.

– Rasheed Khalid

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