By Ashrafuddin Pirzada
PESHAWAR: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), led by its chairperson, held a high-level meeting with journalists from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the Peshawar Press Club on Thursday to review the serious challenges facing the media community, particularly those working in the tribal districts.
The session was attended by HRCP representatives Hussain Naqi, Asad Iqbal, and Munizae Jahangir, along with Peshawar Press Club President M. Riaz, senior journalist Shamim Shahid, Khyber Union of Journalists President Kashif-ud-Din Syed, Saif-ul-Islam Saifi, Farzana Ali, Ibrahim Shinwari, Shah Nawaz Turkzai, Nasir Hussain, and Nabi Jan Orakzai, among others.
Journalists told the HRCP delegation that they continue to face severe threats, intimidation and lack of institutional support due to their professional duties. They said that reporting on sensitive issues often puts them under pressure from multiple sides, while no safety or legal assistance mechanisms exist to protect them.
Senior journalists, including Khyal Mat Shah Afridi, Khadam Khan Afridi and Ibrahim Shinwari, highlighted that despite difficult circumstances, tribal journalists were fulfilling their responsibilities with dedication. They said, despite the militancy-related incidents, Khyber journalists have never compromised on their factual reporting to protect human rights.
The HRCP chairperson assured participants that their concerns would be compiled into a comprehensive report and raised at the highest level, stressing that the services of tribal journalists for peace,human rights and democracy were “unforgettable” and required urgent policy-level measures to ensure their safety, freedom and professional training.
The meeting also noted that journalists in KP, particularly in district Khyber, continue to face life-threatening risks. Last year, journalist Khalil Jibran was shot dead in Landikotal, while several others from the same region have gone underground due to persistent death threats.
