Islamabad: Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has demanded the government to recover a journalist, who was kidnapped from North Waziristan on August 11, 2011.
Rehmatullah Dawar, who worked with AAJ TV and Daily Ausaf, was buying groceries from Miranshah bazaar when some unidentified men in two cars with tinted glasses bundled him into one of the vehicles and drove away. They also resorted to firing in the air to keep the people away.
Dawar has been in journalism for the last 10 years and has remained the President of Tribal Union of Journalists North Waziristan a couple of times.
In a statement, PFUJ President Pervaiz Shaukat said journalists, especially those in the tribal areas, were insecure and things were getting worse under the prevailing situation. He said many journalists from the tribal belts had been kidnapped, killed or injured. He said despite all the threats the government has not taken any measure to protect the lives of journalists who were putting their lives at risk to report the truth.
PFUJ Secretary-General Amin Yousuf expressed his concern at the latest kidnapping and said the government needs to adopt strict measures and revisit its security policy to provide protection to journalists.
The government makes tall claims of enhancing security but the situation remains the same, he added. Tribal Union of Journalists (TUJ) President Safdar Dawar condemned the kidnapping of Rehmatullah Dawar.
He said an emergency meeting of the TUJ was called after the kidnapping, which decided to stage a protest if Rehmatullah Dawar was not recovered.
He said this was not the first instance in which a journalist was kidnapped. “We have the example of Hayatullah Khan who was kidnapped and later found dead,” Mr Dawar said.
He said if such a trend continues they would be left with no choice but to leave the profession in order to protect their lives.
On the other hand, Taliban North Waziristan Shura spokesman Ahmadullah Ahmed has condemned the kidnapping of Dawar and said the Taliban would investigate the matter and play their role for his recovery.
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