Pakistan: The targeting of our member Asma Shirazi has intensified with impunity. We expect better from Imran Khan's new Pakistan.

Why is Asma Shirazi under attack again? 

Our CFWIJ Pakistan member Asma Shirazi has been under attack once again. This time the threat has moved from the online space to the physical space, risking the safety and freedom of not only Asma but also her family.

There have been two new attempts of break-in at Asma's home in Islamabad, once while she was away from the country and once when she was back home. Both break-ins had eye-witnesses, have been reported and assessed by the relevant police department, and indicate an attempt to intimidate and silence Asma Shirazi.

This raises concern's for the Coalition For Women In Journalism and we demand the govt to a) investigate these particular attacks, b) find methods to stop the online trolling that Asma and other journalists have been facing. These incidents are indicative of the risk journalists like Asma are facing in the country, and obstruct their ability to do fair and unbiased journalism. 

Asma Shiraz has had been trolled wildly in Pakistan's online spaces and on the airwaves on some pro establishment news channels. This all started last year before elections when Asma, as journalists do, was going to interview former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Since then, there have been several unprecedented online campaigns against Asma name calling her, accusing her of biased journalism and corruption, while Asma has only attempted to bring all sides of the story to the fore. This is her job; bringing all voices on the forum in fact is in the public interest. 

These break-ins into Asma's home have also caused undue harm and stress to Asma and her family, including her little children.
The previous attempts to silence Asma Shirazi have lead to an environment that we find to obstruct the nations right to free press. This kind of treatment of journalists, should not be allowed in a country that is recognized as a democracy. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism, with our global team, stand in support with Asma Shirazi and all women journalists trying to do their job. With sincere hopefulness, we urge Pakistan's PM Imran Khan in the new Pakistan, to ensure safety to Asma Shirazi. One important element of doing so would be for the government to find perpetrators behind threats online and offline and punish them for obstructing the public's right to free and fair journalism.

We urge the government to invest solid efforts to put a stop to impunity when women journalists get attacked this way. We look forward to see visible efforts in this direction and will stay tuned for the results.

Signed, The Coalition For Women In Journalism
Kiran Nazish, Sulome Anderson, Alessandria Masi, Luavut Zahid, Afia Salam, Marvi Sirmid, Ghareeda Farooqui, Ayesha Tanzeem, Arifa Noor, Maria Memon, Beena Sarwar, Tanzeela Mazhar, Nida Karra, Farhat Javed, Amber Shamsie, Maira Imran, Munizea Jehangir, Nosheen Abbas, Nighat Daad, Sahar Habib, Sara Farid, Raza Rumi, Saba Eitizaz, Asma Shirazi.

Note from our Founding Director.

No this isn't new. Women journalists have been targeted in Pakistan in different ways for a long time. A trend that became more visible in the last few years, as women journalists got closer to the story covering tumultuous times the country faced in the post 9/11 era. Targeting of women journalists has become a regular phenomena in Pakistan and we believe this is because a) women journalists are asking tougher question, b) finding ways to access the story that have been traditionally obstructed for our male colleagues. Hence the solid journalism that many women journalists are able to produce, has become the reason why these women journalists are so widely under attack.

The renewed targeting of high profile journalists like our member Asma Shirazi carry a deadly stench for the notion of free press in the country. Asma Shirazi is a veteran journalist who has built her career with unarguably good quality journalism. Filter through each and every story Asma has ever covered, and one would find solid sources, visible balance and verifiable information. Asma has had access to all levels of the government, political and bureaucratic leadership in the country and over the years has built a name for herself as one of the finest and most ethical reporters in the country. With her profile that speaks of authenticity and stature, it is close to impossible to associate her with any kind of bias, yet the vicious campaigns against her accuse her of biased journalism. We strongly condemn these campaign against our member. 

The CFWIJ has been documenting dozens of cases since 2018, including discreet methods like threatening phone calls, one on one warnings by intelligence agencies, public trolling of women journalists in online spaces, vicious campaigns including propaganda claiming corruption, bias and a variety of personal attacks include nudist images. Can you imagine the stress and discouragement that a journalist would feel when treated with such inhumanity? This is gross and unacceptable. Talking to these women journalists, we have found it to be obvious that these efforts are by powerful circles both in the government and military establishment and the purpose is clearly to silence these women reporters.

Let me also say, that we do acknowledge and realize that all of the government and all of the military does not intend to indulge in such targeting. There are good people too, both in the military establishment that is often infamous for its attempts to intimidate press, and in the political and bureaucratic circles. We are also aware that many good parliamentarian have taken a stand to protect free press, safe online spaces and safety of journalists. We acknowledge this support with deep, deep gratefulness and urge you to join us in helping create a safe environment for women journalists to report in Pakistan.

We understand and empathize that governance and power maintenance is not exactly easy in Pakistan, as the nation faces a tumultuous time economically, internally and regionally. Both political and diplomatic stumbling has taken place in the past and the nation carries a heavy baggage of trauma and mistrust from the last few decades. That is okay, as long a sense of responsibility is shown by those in power. 

We invite the powerful establishment and the democratically elected government to visibly invest in establishing unity for a struggling nation and ensure a robust support system for all those sectors of the state that are devoted to public service. That includes a free and independent press, and women journalists are at the frontlines trying their best to deliver.

We acknowledge that journalism is not entirely a flawless industry, and many journalists in the country make mistakes, indicate bias, but many is not all. Many more journalists including Asma Shirazi, are trying to do a fair job as journalists and the state needs to learn to allow them to do so. We know it's hard work, but the effort to improve things and bring accountability should be visible every day. There is no 'us' vs 'them' in a single nation. If the govt put in the effort to ensure an independent space for all journalists, especially the women who take great risks to bring diverse perspective to the news, we are sure the befits of doing so for the entire country will be visible soon.

So in the spirit of reviving good journalism that is purely an act of public service, I want to invite all stakeholders of governance in the country, civil society members, celebrities, public servants and the public to support independent press, and safety for all women journalists in the country. I request you all to question each time you witness a journalist being accused or abused, for doing their job.

Without a robust involvement of women journalists in television, radio and print, it will be impossible to sustain a democracy that ensures rights to all citizen and informs fairly on all angles and corners of the government. Free press does not serve the journalist. Free press serves the public. Independence for journalists is the only way to ensure that a nation, so diverse as that in Pakistan, is a free, united and independent nation.

I would also like to speak to Pakistan's Prime Minister Mr. Imran Khan who personally told me during an interview in 2011 in Lahore that he considered my work as a women journalist to be courageous and important. He also resounded his support to women in journalism trying to do their job. Dear Mr. Khan, the work of women journalists today is being obstructed, often with gross efforts to silence us  and I would like to invite you to join us in finding out who the perpetrators are.

With hope and thanks,

Kiran Nazish