Ashrafuddin Pirzada
PESHAWAR: Praising the efforts and sacrifices journalists make for the homeland, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor Haji Ghulam Ali on Thursday said there is no doubt that tribal journalists have played an important role in peacebuilding and the development of ex-Fata in the past two decades.
Haji Ghulam Ali was speaking at the oath-taking ceremony of the Tribal Union of Journalists (NMDs) Interim Council held at the governor’s house in Peshawar. He claimed that a number of tribal journalists were killed and many others were injured while attempting to keep the peace in former Fata. He said the life sacrifices of ex-Fata residents rendered for peace would not go to waste.
“Journalists are the key stakeholder of the society as they should also highlight the importance of Newly Merged Districts’ importance as there are billions of dollars in minerals in the mountains in Ex-Fata that need to be explored and traded”, He added that it could completely change the lives of ten million tribal people.
The governor said that he would take up the journalists’ issues with the federal government. He pleaded to arrange seminars and training for tribal journalists to bring up their capacity with the rest of the journalists in Pakistan.
The interim Tribal Union of Journalists council chairman Qazi Fazlullah thanked the governor Haji Ghulam Ali and said that gone were the days when doors of the governor’s house were closed for tribal journalists. He said their union was that of the martyr journalists who did not compromise on the solidarity and integrity of Pakistan and lost lives for the sake of Pakistan. He said 13 journalists had been martyred, while a number of others were wounded in the war on terror. He said more than a hundred journalists from ex-Fata have left their hometowns due to threats to their lives.
“We are reviving the journalists’ union after ten years and will raise our voice at every turn for their rights,” said Qazi Fazlullah.
“We are reviving the journalists’ union after ten years and will raise our voice at every turn for their rights,” said Qazi Fazlullah.
He said the government and other organizations working for journalists should come forward and help out tribal journalists in crises.
According to Qazi Fazlullah, tribal journalists are still in danger due to unrest in the former Fata. He stated that tribal journalists were committed to playing their part in ensuring a peaceful and prosperous Pakistan.
Qazi Fazlullah demanded of the governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that he provide modern equipment to all press clubs in newly merged districts and construct the long-awaited press club in Landikotal.
