Tag: journalism

  • Cops who shot at Arshad Sharif rejoin Kenyan police without accountability

    Cops who shot at Arshad Sharif rejoin Kenyan police without accountability

    Geo news has been investigating journalist Arshad Sharif’s murder case. In their latest update, Geo has revealed that the five Kenyan police officers involved in the killing have resumed duties without any action taken against them.

    A security source also told Geo that the two of the shooters have been promoted to senior ranks.

    Kenya’s Independent Policing and Oversight Authority (IPOA), investigating the conduct of police officers and after Sahir’s murder, had assured authorities of giving updates on Sharif’s murder within weeks but more than nine months later, no findings have been made public.

    IPOA had said in a statement that “We shall give an update on the matter once we are done with the investigations”.

    The authority’s spokesperson neither provided a timeframe nor responded as to why the watchdog has taken so long and why the police officers have been absolved of any accountability.

    Geo further reported that IPOA had submitted its file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) but it was returned back and gaps were asked to be filled before the prosecution began.

    According to a Geo News, “Investigations into the murder of the journalist seem to have gone silent in the East African country”.

    A police officer attached to the General Service Unit (GSU), Kevin Kimuyu Mutuku, was allegedly shot at the time of Sharif’s killing.

    The police officer rejoined work right after he was discharged from hospital. He has claimed that was shot and wounded when bullets were fired from inside Sharif’s vehicle but the forensic investigation showed he was lying.

    Geo reports that a trusted Kenyan intelligence source, who chooses to remain anonymous, said that the National Police Service (NPS) in Kenya had slackened on Sharif’s investigation because “it involved its members and the body allowed to carry out such investigations was IPOA”.

    “The police cannot investigate themselves and for that matter IPOA is expected to issue their findings. However, the police also have their own file on the same matter just in case,” said the investigator who has internal details of the matter.

    According to Kenya’s Human Rights Commission member Martin Mavenjina, “Unfortunately, Kenya does not have a law that gives police officers timeliness whenever they are doing an investigation. When Arshad Sharif died things looked promising that the police would take action and would find facts — until they just came to a halt and everything went silent from the Kenyan side,” he said.

    Geo investigations have also found that the police has conducted a parallel investigation of Arshad Sharif’s murder case but the findings are yet to be made public.

    “The police investigations are on hold for now,” said Kennedy Kirwai, the investigating officer in the case.

    The case is being pursued back in Pakistan too. Sharif’s family has asked the former Islamabad High Court judge Shaukat Siddiqui to take up their case.

    The advocates say that Kenya is cordial with Pakistan but the Kenyan authorities have not been cooperative in the investigations.
    “I have no doubt in my mind that Kenyan Police were privy to this planned murder. It is so painful for the family of Arshad Sharif that even those officials who played the role of hired assassins have been let free and brought back to their ranks. Unfortunately, due to non-cooperation and having over the two suspects of Pakistani origin, investigation of the case has badly been jeopardised. In my opinion, now is the time for the Govt of Pakistan to take up the matter with the United Nations (UN),” said Siddiqui.

    Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar is set to visit Kenya next month at the invitation of Kenyan President Dr William Samoei Ruto. He will be accompanied by Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani and other cabinet members and advisors.

  • CNN has exacerbated my ‘pain and suffering’, says Saima Mohsin

    British-Pakistani journalist Saima Mohsin, has won the right to take her former employee, CNN, to a full tribunal at the London Central Employment Tribunal. As per her claims, she was unfairly dismissed and discriminated against following an injury she sustained on an assignment in Israel.

    Previously, CNN claimed that Mohsin cannot bring the matter into a court in London under her contract but following a preliminary hearing last month, Judge Klimov ruled in Mohsin’s favour, allowing her to proceed with her case to sue CNN for negligence.

    Saima Mohsin currently works with Sky News on a freelance basis and has a programme on ITV about living with invisible disabilities.

    In 2014, Mohsin was reporting on the Israel-Palestine conflict from Jerusalem when her cameraman ran over her foot. This damaged her tissue, resulting in chronic pain, forcing her to walk with a stick and reducing her to work part-time only. Mohsin suffered from depression as a consequence. In 2017, CNN terminated her contract. As per a Guardian report, Saima had requested CNN if she could switch to a presenting role in order to reduce the amount of time spent travelling but she was told “You don’t have the look we are looking for”.

    Later, according to Deadline.com, Mohsin “repeatedly indicated her willingness to settle outside of legal proceedings, but CNN has so far declined to do so”. She also said that the news network has exacerbated her “pain and suffering” by continuing with the legal action.

    In her statement, Saima Mohsin said, “I have constantly offered reinstatement or mediation and negotiations. I didn’t ask for this battle while learning to deal with an invisible disability and rebuild my life. But it was important I take a stand.”

  • Turkish journalist jailed fifth time

    Turkish journalist jailed fifth time

    Turkish investigative journalist Baris Pehlivan, who was ordered to return to prison by text message this month, was jailed on Tuesday for the fifth time in three years.

    The justice ministry informed him on August 2 via an SMS message that he had to surrender himself by August 15 to the prison in Silivi on the outskirts of Istanbul, where many of the government critics are held.

    Pehlivan’s latest book, “SS”, accuses former interior minister Suleyman Soylu of having links to organised crime.
    “Baris might be released on parole,” his lawyer Huseyin Ersoz told AFP. “A decision could be made at any time,” he said.
    A former editor in chief at Oda TV and contributor to daily newspaper Cumhuriyet, Pehlivan has already been imprisoned four times.
    Two of those incidents involved him spending a day behind bars — once in February and once in May.

    Pehlivan and six other journalists were sentenced to three years and nine months in prison in 2020 for reporting the funeral of a member of Turkey’s MIT secret services who was operating in Libya, where Ankara supports the UN-recognised Tripoli government.
    While his death has never been denied by the Turkish authorities, the reporters were charged with revealing “state secrets”.
    Pehlivan was recalled this time to serve eight months of the 2020 sentence for violating the country’s national intelligence laws.

    “People go to jail (in Turkey) just for writing the truth, just for doing journalism,” Pehlivan said before being sent to prison.
    “Mine is a drop in this ocean, in this big fight,” he said.

    Press freedom advocates last week condemned the “judicial harassment” of the journalist and urged the Turkish government to respect media freedom.
    Erol Onderoglu of Reporters Without Borders said Pehlivan was the 13th journalist to be jailed this year.
    “Arresting a reporter is an anachronistic attack on public opinion,” he commented on Twitter, recently rebranded as X.

    Turkey is ranked 165th out of 180 countries in the RSF’s latest press freedom index.

  • Aleeza Arshad, daughter of Arshad Sharif, makes debut as reporter

    Aleeza Arshad, daughter of Arshad Sharif, makes debut as reporter

    Aleeza Arshad, the daughter of slain journalist Arshad Sharif, has entered the field of journalism as a reporter.

    Aleeza decided to enter the profession because she was inspired by her father’s passion for investigative journalism.

    Her decision to choose journalism as a profession has been welcomed by admirers and colleagues of her late father, who was killed in 2022 by unknown gunmen in Kenya.

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shehbaz Gill shared Aliza’s TV report on his Twitter account and expressed best wishes for her future.

    Social media users also welcomed Aliza to the realm of journalism.

  • Ask Nadeem Umer to remove Sarfaraz Ahmed as captain of Quetta: Shahid Afridi

    Ask Nadeem Umer to remove Sarfaraz Ahmed as captain of Quetta: Shahid Afridi

    Former captain and all-rounder Shahid Afridi has shown concern on consecutive defeats of Quetta Gladiators. Talking on a TV show, Afridi said that Sarfaraz Ahmed has to step down as captain of Quetta Gladiators.

    He said that Sarfaraz should play only as a team member and focus on his own performance first to manage the pressure upon him. Afridi added that the responsibility for Quetta’s consecutive defeats lies on team management who has no alternative captain.

    Responding to a question about Sarfaraz’s performance, Afridi cited an example from Islamabad United and said: “There should always be a player standing by on the bench who can take the place if the team falls short of any player.”

    “This strategy is nowhere to be seen in Quetta Gladiators”, he added.

    The former star cricketer also mentioned that several changes had been made in the team.

    While citing another example from Karachi Kings, he said that the team is not performing exceptionally well, however, its captain Imad Wasim can be seen performing and leading his team.

    The captain’s performance has an important role in the team’s performance, Afridi emphasised.

    He further added that Sarfaraz has played a number of matches for Pakistan and he performed very well in those matches.

    “Prior to the start of the league, I had talked to Nadeem Umar. He asked me for some advice. I had said the same then: Remove Sarfaraz Ahmed as captain of Quetta as soon as possible but keep him as a team member so that as a player he could perform well and he could absorb the pressure of his own performance and enjoy his game-play’.”

    Quetta Gladiator squad for PSL 8
    Mohammad Nawaz, Iftikhar Ahmed, Jason Roy, Mohammad Hasnain, Sarfaraz Ahmed (c), Naveen ul Haq, Umar Akmal, Will Smeed, Naseem Shah, Odean Smith, Mohammad Hafeez, Umaid Asif, Muhammad Zahid, Abdul Bangalzai, Aimal Khan, Martin Guptill, Omair Bin Yousuf, Qais Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Dwaine Pretorius (partial replacement for Odean Smith), Will Jacks (partial replacement for Jason Roy), Nuwan Thushara (partial replacement for Naveen ul Haq)

  • PM, others pay rich tributes after veteran journalist Imran Aslam passes away

    PM, others pay rich tributes after veteran journalist Imran Aslam passes away

    Veteran journalist Imran Aslam breathed his last on Friday morning at the age of 70 after a long battle with cancer. The newsman was also the president of Geo and Jang Group.

    In his decades long career, Imran Aslam was a renowned as a scriptwriter, actor, voice actor, and president of a TV network. His son Taimur has said that his father’s funeral prayers will be offered after Asr on Saturday near their house and the burial will take place at a graveyard in DHA, Phase 8, Karachi.

    People from all walks of life condoled Aslam’s death.

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif wrote in a tweet, “Saddened by the passing of veteran journalist and president of Geo TV Imran Aslam. He belonged to a breed of journalists who made eminent contribution to the development of Pakistani journalism. I extend my heartfelt condolences to his family, friends & colleagues.”

  • Muslim journalist accused of hurting religious sentiments in India released from jail

    Muslim journalist accused of hurting religious sentiments in India released from jail

    Indian journalist and fact-checker Mohammed Zubair was released from jail on Wednesday (July 20). He was granted bail by the Indian Supreme Court.

    The police also charged him with criminal conspiracy, destroying evidence and receiving foreign funds in at least half a dozen other cases.

    Mohammed Zubair is a co-founder of fact-checking website Alt News. He is a critic of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, and regularly tracks and highlights anti-Muslim hate speech by Hindu right-wing activists and politicians.

    He was detained because of a tweet from 2018 that included a screenshot from a well-known Hindi film, which authorities claim was insulting to Hindu religious beliefs.

    Just a few days prior to his detention, he had called attention to Nupur Sharma, a suspended BJP spokeswoman, who had made offensive remarks about the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) during a TV debate.

    Journalists allege that BJP-linked trolls weaponised Twitter and the law to send Zubair to jail in a fake case.

  • PTI’s Dr Shahbaz Gill loses it when asked about his educational background

    PTI’s Dr Shahbaz Gill loses it when asked about his educational background

    Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill lost his cool when the credibility of his educational background was put into question during HUM News programme, ‘Breaking Point with Malick’.

     Anchorperson Mohammad Malick and Gill traded barbs while making personal attacks on each other.

    Malick and Gill’s argument revolved around the increasing inflation in Pakistan.

    Shahbaz Gill hit back at Malick saying that he is a journalist, not an economist. To which Malick questioned whether Shahbaz Gill is an economist or not.

    In response, Shahbaz Gill said he has done a PhD in Business from the University of Malaya. However, Malick took a dig at the university’s credibility claiming that it has a controversial status since there were talks that it is not a verified university.

    The personal attack did not sit well with Shahbaz Gill who said that Malick should leave journalism. Shahbaz Gill defended the university by saying that Malaysia’s Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad studied there.

    “That university is like Quaid-e-Azam University,” Dr. Shahbaz Gill said, highlighting its national importance in Malaysia. “You are giving a nonsense statement!”

    “If you’re talking about nonsense statements, then I think you are acting as a nonsense person,” Malick hit back. “You are being rude, look at your language, try saying ‘nonsense’ to your seniors in the party,” said Malick.

    Malick later said, “I hope the prime minister will teach his special assistants how to talk. We are hosts and on television, we cannot speak certain things due to professional obligations. This is not a Jalsa but a political talk show. I hope the ministers and special assistants of the government should have the patience and decency to answer questions in a decent manner.”

    We can give a lot of answers but we will not respond to insults,” said Malick.

    Gill took to Twitter and said, “If someone insults my school by calling it suspicious, then a harsh answer will be given back.”

    Later, Mohammad Malick tweeted that he misheard the university’s name.

    “Confusion arose when I misheard uni name and mistook it for another but that was a minor issue, the ugliness happened because of extreme aggressiveness of the gentleman and rowdy language,” said Malick.

    “Like I said, every conflicting opinion can be made without a conflict,” Malick tweeted.

  • 293 journalists jailed, 24 killed in 2021: CPJ report

    Record number of journalists were jailed around the world in 2021 with China remaining the world’s worst jailer of journalists for the third year in a row with 50 journalists behind the bars, states a report by Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

    Apart from China, 26 journalists are behind bars in Burma, 25 in Egypt, 23 in Vietnam and 19 in Belarus.

    Adding those jailed in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey, Russia, Ethiopia and Eritrea, the CPJ said a total of 293 journalists were in prison worldwide as of December 1.

    Forty of the 293 detained journalists – less than 14 per cent – are women.

    Executive director of the group Joel Simon said, “This is the sixth year in a row that CPJ has documented record numbers of journalists imprisoned around the world. It’s distressing to see many countries on the list year after year, but it is especially horrifying that Myanmar and Ethiopia have so brutally slammed the door on press freedom.”

    According to the report, 24 journalists are believed to be killed around the world this year. India has the highest number of journalists – four – confirmed to have been murdered in retaliation for their work. A fifth was killed while covering a protest. While, in the west, Mexico is at the top as three journalists were murdered for their reporting and the motives for six other killings are under investigation.

    The CPJ said the number of journalists behind bars reflects “increasing intolerance for independent reporting around the world”.

    Last month, Freedom Network reported that two dozen journalists in Pakistan had been prosecuted (2019-21) over the past under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca).

  • Veteran journalist Muhammad Ziauddin passes away at 83 after prolonged illness

    Veteran journalist Muhammad Ziauddin passes away at 83 after prolonged illness

    Veteran journalist Muhammad Ziauddin passed away on Monday in Islamabad after a period of prolonged illness. He was 83.

    Ziauddin had a career span of 60 years in journalism. He earned a Master’s degree in Journalism from Karachi University in 1964. Later that same year, he made his entry in the profession.

    One of the most respected names in journalism, Ziauddin worked at almost all the major newspapers of the country—The Muslim, The News, Dawn, The Express Tribune.

    Many people paid tribute to Ziauddin after the news of his death was confirmed. 

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry tweeted, “One of the most capable fiercely independent journalist I came across with has left for his final abode #Ziauddin was no commoner a wise man—integrity and boldness added to his personality.”

    Afrasiab Khattak tweeted: “The death of iconic journalist Ziauddin sahib is a huge loss to journalism in Pakistan. He maintained professional standards and integrity under under circumstances when it wasn’t easy to do so.”

    Abbas Nasir tweeted: “An iconic journalist; a personal friend of 35 years; a senior who was generous with his counsel and love; and a giant who stood up to autocrats for over 50 years.”

    Mubahsir Zaidi tweeted, “Icon of Pakistani journalism Mohammed Ziauddin dies.”

    Journalist Nasim Zehra tweeted, “One of Pakistan’s leading illustrious old guard experienced and widely respected journalist, former Editor of Dawn & the News; currently a columnist with Express Tribune #MZiauddin sahib passes away.”

    Journalist Hamid shared a picture of Ziauddin and tweeted, “I always told #Ziauddin sahib ‘your experience in journalism is equal to my age’.”

    Journalist Khurram Husain tweeted, “Deeply grieved to learn of the passing of Zia saab. He was grace, dignity, and professionalism personified.”

    Journalist Murtaza Solangi tweeted, “#Ziauddin lived his life on his terms, his values and his principles. He did not waver and vacillate on his progressive and democratic ethos for a single day. His over half a century work is a compass in our dark days and nights. Goodbye my comrade!”

    Journalist Shahbaz Rana tweeted how Ziauddin had taught him “to keep emotions separate from the noble cause” of journalism.

    Journalist Amber Shamsi tweeted, “Gutted to learn Ziauddin sb is no more. A fine gentleman and a finer journalist, who was so accessible and willing to teach.”