Shamsul Islam Naz: July 2010

Sunday, July 4, 2010

July 5; A Black day in the history of Pakistan - PFUJ

July 5; A Black day in the history of Pakistan - PFUJ

Islamabad, July 4 :- "July 5 is one of the darkest days in the history of Pakistan which literally sent the country into a `stone age', and the entire nation was still paying a heavy price for it." said the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) on the eve of 31 years of the imposition of Martial Law by General Zia.

In a statement issued here on Sunday, PFUJ Secretary General, Shamsul Islam Naz, said although 33 years have passed since the imposition of Zia's Martial Law, the whole nation is paying a heavy price in the shape of menace of sectarianism, ethnicity, heroin, terrorism, Kalashnikov culture, corruption, rule of gun, lawlessness, intolerance, undemocratic attitude, nepotism, discrimination with women, minorities, media persons ruthlessly running all the state institutions for perpetuating their dictatorial rule by hook or crook.

He further said that “the entire nation suffered during Zia's Martial Law, legitimized by the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s judgment under the garb of so-called “law of necessity" which also gave a free hand to the dictator to unilaterally change and amend the constitution as per his dissertation”.

Not only this during his 11 years of cruel rule, Gen. Zia abrogated the Constitution and flaunted the law with complete impunity and not in a single case the superior courts dared to undo any of his orders.

“While this period may be remembered for its oppressive measures, including long spell of censorship, banning of newspapers opposing his unjustified rule, arrest of Editors and media persons, awarding them rigorous imprisonment under Martial Law regulations and even whipping

them, it was also marked by memorable resistance put up by the media persons and press workers, led by the PFUJ and All Pakistan Newspaper Employees Confederation (APNEC) with the active support of the trade unions, he added.

“Such a struggle was unprecedented in the annals of the 4th Estate the world over, and it began towards the end of November 1977 in Karachi, only about five months following the advent of Martial Law. The PFUJ's struggle was triggered by government's ban on publication of Daily “Musawaat”, Karachi.

After futile efforts to convince the Martial Law authorities to lift the ban, the PFUJ launched a hunger strike campaign in Karachi from December 1, 1977 and within eight days of the struggle in which journalists and press workers from all over the country participated, the Zia regime surrendered and lifted the ban slapped on Daily “Musawaat”, he added.

Owing to its oppressive nature, the government again took coercive methods against the dissenting press and banned Daily "Musawat", Lahore , and weeklies, "Al-Fatah", Meyar" and others, which were critical of the dictatorial regime.

After the failure of protracted negotiations with the government, the Federal Executive Council of PFUJ decided to launch a countrywide hunger strike movement from Lahore, commencing on April 30, 1978”, the S.G. PFUJ recalled.

The PFUJ leader claimed that the historic movement was spread over two stages: one beginning in Lahore from April 30 and ending on May 30 and the second beginning in Karachi from July 18 and ending on October 10, 1978.

The two had their own distinct and memorable features marked by a common inspiring spirit and enthusiasm. In the first phase in Lahore, the journalists and press workers, who joined

the hunger strike drive, were arrested and sentenced under Martial Law

Regulations for six months to one year rigorous imprisonment, including

the three, who were ordered to be flogged. Khawar Naeem Hashami, Iqbal Jaferi Hashmi and Nasir Zaidi were in fact flogged. The fourth, Masoodullah Khan was spared on the intervention of the doctor in view of his disability.

It was during this stage that after having failed to suppress the movement for press freedom. The military regime picked up the four renegades from the PFUJ to create a parallel PFUJ, a pocket organization known as " Rashid Siddiqui Group", who was given full publicity on official media supported the government and it condemned PFUJ's struggle for press freedom exposing their true colours.

“It was also during Gen Zia’s regime that ten senior journalists and office-bearers of the PFUJ belonging to the National Press Trust newspapers viz; Pakistan Times, Imroze and Mashriq, were summarily removed from service on the charge of signing an appeal for " Peace in Sindh " when the government persecuted people indiscriminately during the Movement for Restoration of Democracy launched in 1983.

Continuing, he said, that the era of Zia was callous and insensitive to basic human rights of the people notwithstanding its claim for Islamic justice. During his rule the most abominable version of the press censorship was imposed on newspapers wherein even Quranic verses and Ahadis of Prophet (PBUH) used to be censored if they reflected in any way on the person of Zia’s regime or his policies."

The PFUJ reminded that in the whole of the Zia Martial Law period, the owners of newspapers and the APNS played a very shabby role, and some political parties, out of personal interests, also supported Zia, which was in fact the main cause of one of the longest and dark era in country’s political history.

Unfortunately, those media owners who were known as his cronies owing to their hatred with Bhutto, tried to prove themselves “champions of democracy and perusing the principles stand” PFUJ asserted.

The PFUJ vowed that keeping in view the golden traditions would continue its struggle for freedom of press, expression, human rights, rule of law, democracy and economic rights of the media persons.

Shamsul Islam Naz
Secretary General
PAKISTAN FEDERAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS
12-Nazimuddin Road, F-6/1
Islamabad, Pakistan
Phone Office +92(0)51 2870220-1
Facsimile +92(0)51 2870223
Cellular +92(0)300 8665523
http://www.shamsulislamnaz.com
http://www.pfuj.pk

Jungle law reins supreme in Pakistan

Jungle law reins supreme in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, July 1: Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has censured the apathy of the government and the judiciary in fulfilling their constitutional obligations to get the 7^th Wage Board Award implemented which added to the miseries of working and non-journalists in Pakistan.

‘This is a classic example of the jungle law in the 21^st century prevailing in Pakistan where the dictum ‘might is right’ reigns supreme”, a PFUJ statement issued on Thursday said while criticising the Pakistani Judiciary, regulatory agencies and federal and the provincial governments in the strongest terms for their complete failure to secure implementation of the 7th Wage Board Award.

The PFUJ pointed out with deep concern that the media persons in Pakistan were unable to avail their legitimate rights of wages and other fringe benefits as envisaged under the 7th Wage Board Award that was supposed to be implemented with effect from July1, 2000.

This single act of the Pakistani media barons who pose to be champions and custodians of “human rights, rule of law, civil liberties, independence of judiciary and the cause of oppressed and depressed classes had exposed their true faces and proved by their conduct that they were running the "business of media houses" for building up their mighty financial power, by sucking the blood of their workers and denying them of their basic fundamental rights with impunity, said the apex body of jouyrnalists.

The PFUJ said that it was an open secret that electronic and print media headlines, tickers, talk shows, programmews, editorials, reports, assignments, issues, comments and views always reflected that "Pakistani judiciary was on dominating, passing strictures against the government policies, severally criticising each and every aspect of the government functionaries.

This melodrama gives an impression as if there was no government or institutions in the country except the "Judiciary and Media", before whom every one had to bow down for survival.

In such a oppressive environment, one can easily judge the ruthlessness of the media owners who have attained the status of a "sacred cow" with open blessing and backing of judiciary ignoring all norms of law, rules, regulations, decency, justice, equity, fair play thereby forcing the media employees to continue bleed without redressal.

The PFUJ asked how and under what justification Media Pressure Groups were usurping the legitimate economic rights of media workers. The salaries and other benefits of the media-related employees were fixed in terms of an act of the Parliament, which was unanimously enacted by all political forces of Pakistan with collective wisdom.

Now, after almost three decades, the Pakistani Judiciary which is claimant of being a champion and protector of its independence, has been ruthlessly ruining all other organs of state in collusion with the "Media", who in return, is being rewarded by the Judiciary with a blunt edged weapon to slaughter the whole nation, and subject it to the worst kind of humiliation, agony, torture and provide it a free licence to suck the blood of poor media workers with prefect impunity.

The PFUJ further pointed out that the media owners had been given a free hand to flout the law and deprive the media workers of their due economic rights strengthened by the generous restraint orders granted liberally and unilaterally to them by the August Courts exercising and demonstrating full favouritism in the name of "independence of judiciary".

It was simply ironical that the Chief Justice of Pakistan, who was known all over the world for his sharp eye and for taking suo moto notices of injustices and common place and individual matters, had failed to take notice of the serious attrocities and injustices meted out to the media employees which had been perpetuated by the undue support granted to the media owners, against which the media workers had been protesting loudly for the last ten years.

It was a big question mark as to why the Supreme Court of Pakistan, known to be very active and keen in taking suo moto notices of violations of law, had been keeping its eyes shut on the serious violations of law, evasions of taxes, availing of huge levies and concessions and grabbing of precious state lands committed by most powerful and privileged class i.e. the media tycoons.

The PFUJ said that in consonance with the UN resolutions and declaration for the rule of democracy, primary responsibility for a democratic change lay on the society. At the same time, the international community could play a vital supportive role.

Indeed, demand for UN assistance in institution-building, elections, the rule of law, the strengthening of civil society and other key aspects of democracy had grown considerably.”

In line with the UN obligations, the Pakistani government was bound to ensure implementation of law of the land, which required constitution of the 8th Wage Board for newspaper employees which was due since Ist July 2005, and payment of legitimate benefits as per 7th Wage Award from Ist July 2000, reinstatement of all summarily sacked media persons job security, conducive working environment, implementation of labour laws in letter and spirit, protection of jobs for electronic media persons by amendment in Newspaper Employees (Conditions of service) Act, 1973 for providing protection to them, the demands accrued from the fundamental rights of newspaper employees which were a by-product of democracy, the PFUJ added.

The PFUJ urged all the national and international forces to support the Pakistani media employees in their just cause and legitimate rights.