Hamid Mir vows to raise voice for constitutional rights after TV ban
One of Pakistan’s top journalists and TV anchors, Hamid Mir, has said that terminations or bans are not new for him, adding that he will continue to raise voice for the rights given in the constitution.
He says that his family has also been threatened but this time he is ready to face any consequences.
Taking to Twitter, Hamid wrote: “Nothing new for me. I was banned twice in the past. Lost jobs twice. Survived assassination attempts but cannot stop raising voice for the rights given in the constitution. This time I am ready for any consequences and ready to go at any extent because they are threatening my family”.
Several journalists stepped forward to show solidarity with Mir. Asma Sherazi, the host of a TV talk show, said the channel management must clarify their position.
“If @Hamidmirpak is taken off air or banned from doing program on #Geonews, more fingers will point towards the powerful establishment & the government while resounding the “words that he said”. Journalists of Pak stand with #Hamidmir #Geo management must clarify its position,” she said.
Replying to the tweet of Sherazi on the microblogging site, Mir wrote, “I have lost my job twice, escaped multiple assassination attempts but that does not make me stop to speak for the rights given in the constitution”.
Mir stated that, on one hand, bills for the protection of journalists are being signed into law while special tribunals are being set up to try journalists on the other, which will be authorised to impose fines up to millions and sentenced three years imprisonment.
Mir also called for a parliamentary debate on the matter and stated that decisions of special tribunals will not be challenged in high courts and will only be challenged in the Supreme Court. He also recalled that the International Federation of Journalists declared Pakistan as the fifth most dangerous country for journalists, while 148 attacks on journalist have been reported in the country in the last 12 months, with most attacks happening in Islamabad.
Geo TV managment has said that it is their personal decision to send Mir on leave and that it has not been forced by anyone in the government and establishment.
However, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists has condemned the move. PFUJ President Shahzada Zulfiqar said in a statement issued on Monday: “The Geo Management should let the journalist fraternity know what prompted them to take such a decision within 72 hours of Hamid Mir’s speech in front of the National Press Club on Friday where he condemned nondemocratic forces for lodging attacks on media persons and Asad Toor.”
On Saturday, Mir hit out at the country’s establishment claiming that the latter wants media to run a pro-friendship narrative with rival India.
Last week, a clip went viral on social media, showing Hamid Mir very aggressive. He was speaking in the favor of journalist Asad Toor who was beaten and tortured inside his home.
“You [establishment] say that your tanks have rusted and that you want friendship with India, when we don’t help you build the new narrative of friendship with India, you call out media for not helping you,” the high profile journalist can be heard saying in the video.
Press Freedom in Pakistan is going through tough challenges and bars as the working journalists either are forcibly terminated or their dues and payments are held by the news organizations. Press freedom is deteriorating by every passing day. Self-censorship and bans on journalists by the government authorities have become common trends in the country.