Media besieged by Taliban in Swat

By Zafar Iqbal
zafarjournlaist@gmail.com
Throughout the sixty one years troubled history of Pakistan both under military and civil government or semi-civil government, the situation of media freedom in Pakistan has never been beyond criticism, particularly under military regimes media has faced a harsh dealing from its dissidents. But of the late, situation of freedom of press and expression has undergone enormous deterioration. As per recent global survey about political rights and civil liberties, Pakistan was ranked ‘Partly Free’ in ‘Freedom in the World; and was also declared ‘Not Free’ category in the 2009 version of Freedom of the Press. The latest inroads on media in the country have certainly worsened circumstances for local press to play its role freely and impartially. In a wake of ongoing political and social mess-up in Swat, Northwestern region of the country, has become one of the most precarious zones for working of journalists, states world media watchdog ‘Reporters without Borders’ in its latest fact finding report. In Swat journalists have paid a heavy price for performance of their professional duties in a conflict-ridden valley which attains extraordinary global media attention due to on going war between Pakistani security forces and local hardcore Taliban after alleged infringement of a peace accord by later, in which Shariha was enforced officially in Swat Valley and its adjacent areas.
Now Pakistani security forces have launched a ferocious offense against Taliban who imposed their draconian laws on local populace and wreaked ruthless as well as cannibalistic assaults on media. Considering sweeping force of Taliban against government, media and civil society, observers say , if their rapid expansion in Northern Pakistan is not controlled urgently they would paralyzed state’s infrastructure as in last two years insurgency they have succeeded to build a stronghold in Swat and its adjoining Buneer area which is only 100 km from Pakistani capital, Islamabad. The overall mood of Pakistani media at recent military operation against Taliban in Swat seems almost supportive for military move as the Taliban have already gun downed more than four fellows of Pakistan media persons in a short period of only two years in Swat, as a result, generally Pakistani media considers Taliban’s move in Swat Valley and Northern Pakistan as an open assault on independent press, besides its devastating aftermath for the state system.
Previous track record of violence of Taliban against press in Swat Valley poses alarming threats and terror to Pakistani media. A climate of fear and self-censorship has turned this valley into one of world’s most dangerous places for journalists. Unquestionably, the prominent reason behind rising violence against already throttled media in Swat is alarming surge of Taliban who used every possible instrument of torture and terror to gag independent and liberal voice of media: abduction and killing of journalists, coercion and use of traditional propaganda techniques, resulted to make Swat Valley as a ‘no go area for press.’ Additionally, media has also been stopped officially to cover the recent military operations in Swat and neighboring areas and due to this complete ‘blackout of information’ claim of losses from both sides could not be verified from independent sources, thus going unreported. As a result, the prevailing situations demands free access of media to war zone, therefore, Swat based media organizations have justly demanded that media should be allowed access so as to cover damages of military operations, which according to latest claims of Pakistani military officials, have lost 730 Taliban, apart from exodus of over one million civilians.
The extremists Taliban evolved a long term and multi faceted policy to muffle media in the Swat Valley. Firstly they primed ground for their brutal tactics by wiping out some effective modes of information and entertainment in the name of [mis] interpretation of understanding and teaching of Islam. In November 2005, following a sermon by a pro- Taliban Imam of a local mosque in Mingora at Swat, dozens of television sets, VCRs and audio and video tapes were set on fire publicly. In another incident, more than 250 TV sets were burnt by local Taliban in Malookabad, a small town in periphery of Swat. Similarly sales of DVDs, CDs and satellite dishes were also banned by Taliban as they consider these things to be taboo in Islam on account of their quasi awareness with Islam.
In scenic but devastated and terrified valley of Swat, like other parts of Pakistan, cable net work was only amicable source for poor and middle class viewers to access liberal electronic media which fascinated extraordinary attraction of media audience in recent pluralism in information industry and unprecedented live coverage of various main events happened in political turmoil which engulfed country almost two years after disposition of most senior judge of judiciary by former president Mushrraff. In beginning, Taliban barred cable transmission in Swat, considering it as a weapon of ‘infidels to pollute the minds of Muslims, accuses Taliban, ‘which always propagate against Islam and Muslims vehemently.’ They also started circulation of their own DVDs and CDs in which their collaborators and companions were shown and glorified in killing and lashing their opponents.
The ultimate objectives of these DVD and CDs were to create trepidation among people against absolute powers of Taliban and recruitment of new blood in their Taliban ranks as well. Taliban also advised local media to ‘mend their ways’ regarding coverage of Taliban related news content. All local journalists were threatened with dire inhuman consequences if they continued to call Taliban as ‘suicide bombers’ and ‘insurgents’ and insisted they must be labeled as ‘defenders and soldiers of Islam’. Such dreadful measures of Taliban caused a growing information vacuum in Swat which they filled by themselves successfully through launching small but effective radio stations in the valley.
Radio transmissions, one illegally owned by Molvi Fazal Lullah, a local pro Taliban religious leader were launched by Taliban in order to disseminate their interpretations of understanding about Islamic teachings for enforcement of Shariah in the valley and lately rest of Pakistan. Radio also continued to announce names of those ‘traitors’ killed or punished, who did not respect Taliban’s orders: interdiction of girls education, singing, watching television, shaving beards, and public appearance of women.
In April 2009, local group of Taliban in Swat warned media to face disastrous corollary, if they do not project them positively and asked journalists end their ‘propaganda’ against Taliban’. Taliban also warned journalists that they would approach Shariah courts if media refused to follow their guidelines in such matters. Local Taliban commanders were furious at local journalists that they were taking side of Government and authorities which, according to them, are ‘playing in the hands of West and the US’ by supporting ongoing ‘war on terror’ in Afghanistan and Northwestern region of Pakistan. Plausibly, media had no more options, rather than absolute compliance of Taliban orders as the Taliban has already established vigorously that they can go beyond every limit and can have recourse to use any tactics to realize their ambitions in order to show their powers.
The Taliban previously applied their deadly methods to make the press mute since their expansion in valley in 2007. Aziz Shaheen, a reporter of local Daily was kidnapped by Taliban in Swat same year. He was reported to have been killed two days later during an air strike by government forces on the Taliban camp where he was being held. The Taliban also continued to horrify local journalists by kidnapping one of their fellow in August 2009, whereas another TV journalist Noor Hassan, was abducted in the Swat by them, nonetheless, luckily he was released the next morning.
Logically, this climate of terror and intimidation caused by the Taliban tactics against media has led to self-censorship in Swat. Media has been forcefully advised by the Taliban to portray their positive impression in the public. Slaughters of opponents have always been considered an un –Islamic act and contrary to local norms in a Muslim country like Pakistan, Accordingly, a section of local media was annoyed against such kind of handling of Taliban against their opponents and ‘traitors’; But, ‘we did/can not dare to refute or criticize Taliban’s brutalities in our texts’, laments Saeed- ur- Rehman, a journalist working for an Urdu Daily which shifted its publication from Swat to Islamabad after attacks of bombs on his offices. ‘Now body can imagine how local journalists are trying to perform their professional assignments under permanent threats and terrorization of Taliban in Swat’, Rehman pronounces with a deep sigh. The behavior of Taliban with their opponents, including media is appalling.
Ongoing military operations in Northern Pakistan have also taken lives of local journalist. Journalist Hameedullah’s house was blown up by Pakistani military in Shakar Darra locality at Swat in the beginning of last year. The army was reportedly unhappy with Hameed’s coverage about deaths of civilian people in military operations and had warned him to stop writing on civilian deaths caused by army shelling and firing. Army also insists that media should term the Taliban as ‘insurgents’ and it humiliates former recklessly. Journalists are facing pressures from both sides. Since beginning of army operation against Taliban in 2006, local journalists are facing immense pressure from both sides, Qari Shoaib, a reporter newspaper Khabarkar, was purportedly shot dead by defense forces while driving home with a member of his family on 8 November, 2008. Another broadcast journalist, Musa Khan was also gun downed in 2009 when he was coming back from coverage of peace deal. Gloomily, owing to such environment media has become sandwich between two bullies who don’t like them, so journalists are facing an intricate situation where authoritative and brutal rule of the Taliban compelled almost all local journalists to vacate their offices and homes to take refuge somewhere else.
Before the hemorrhage wave of Talibanization in Swat, six local dailies were catering to the need of 1.2 million population of Swat, nevertheless, now all of them are either closed or have been shifted to other cities of Peshawar and Islamabad. The owners of ‘migrated’ newspapers complain that due to curfew their papers are not being sent to local people regularly. The distribution of newspapers being published elsewhere in the country and from Swat has been stopped owing to clashed between Taliban and Pakistani forces and curfew. Long breakdowns of electricity caused by the Taliban attacks and shelling of security forces have also deprived local population of cable TV transmissions. Lately Taliban lifted ban on cable service, restricting owners to air merely Islamic channels. The mobility of few journalists who dared to still remain in conflict has been restricted due to Curfew and they are denied to provide curfew passes by authorities and forces. The landline telephone system too have been disconnected, further jamming cell phone services in the area.
In this backdrop, all Pakistani journalist community is deeply concerned about future shocking media scenario as the ramifications of violence against media in Swat have triggered to other areas, too. Here, media workers have indicated similar threats from the Taliban for liberal media. In Peshawar, the capital of North Western Frontier Province, ‘two women journalists from a private television channel were issued threats of their hair being shaved off if they appeared on the small screen again’, disclosed an article appeared in a leading Pakistani English newspaper. Letters have been sent to some media offices in Islamabad and other cities, accusing specific journalists of not reporting fairly about the Taliban activities. ‘Text messages and letters are being sent to journalists to stop publication of condemnation of public floggings, beheadings and public executions and exhumation of bodies of their enemies and other atrocities committed by the Taliban in media, suggesting that journalists might face same treatment if they continued to ‘demonize’ Taliban’ s acts, says Ali, a Pakistani print journalist. Media have also been threatened to stop publication of women actresses.
One can easily comprehend the panorama which Pakistani media might face in near future if these awful incidents against media are not barred vigorously; and media, government and other stakeholders are not able to chalk out an urgent strategy to protect life and liberty of press workers. Sadly, apart from recent boom of electronic media in Pakistan, generally working conditions of Pakistani press do not pose a good picture. Aside from coercion and intimidation form official agencies, government officials and none state actors like the Taliban and political and ethnic groups, majority of journalists are working in deplorable circumstances: disgracefully low wages, without any on-job training, life insurance and guarantee of continuity of employment. They also lack required professional capability of working in conflicts. In this milieu, less equipped and unfamiliar with safety measures Pakistani journalists are bound to perform their duties in a volatile and professionally perilous country in an enduring danger.
Both government and media owners must initiate some critical measures for protection of journalists and survival of independent press. All Pakistani media organizations must equip their employees with latest Information Technology and train them how to work in conflicts and calamities-ridden environment. NGOs and other capacity building media networks should come forward to arrange training programs for local journalists to familiarize them with safety essentials required for coverage of conflicts and war. Seven years working experience in media industry of writer of this article in a conflict zone substantiates that Pakistani media organizations leave their journalists helpless in the time of need on the mercy of circumstances. Dozens of journalists and their families, who, like other victims of on going military operations in Northern Pakistan are migrating to other cities, need urgent help of their employers, Pakistani government and other international humanitarian agencies. It is responsibility of government of Pakistan to provide security to all journalists to carry out their professional assignments freely and without any fear in Swat and in everywhere. The mobility of those fewer local journalists who are currently working in Swat putting their lives on stringent risk must be eased by issuing them curfew passes, providing latest safety kits and other necessary information equipments. Indeed, professionally less equipped, underprivileged and unsafe media professionals can not fulfill prerequisites of an independent, objective and free press.
(The writer is Executive Director of Press For Peace (PFP). He could be contacted at: zafarjournalist@gmail.com )