PFUJ expressed concerned over victimization of media practitioners in TV channels

PFUJ expressed concerned over victimization of media practitioners in TV channels

Islamabad, Dec. 25:- The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has
expressed grave concern over rampant incidents of victimization and
usurping the rights of media practitioners in ARY Channel and depriving
them of basic rights and a conducive working environment.

In a statement issued here on Friday, the PFUJ pointed out that news
department of the ARY Digital Network has been suffering from acute
mismanagement for the last one and a half years.

During this period dozens of employees have been sacked. Despite the fact
that it's owned by a large group, delayed payment of salaries has become a
chronic problem.

Currently, staff is still waiting for salary of Oct. 2010. The PFUJ
pointed out that Mr. Nasrullah Malik,a seasoned and reputed journalist, is
a fresh example of draconian mentality of the owners ARY. Mr. Malik who
resign from his job on Dec 14, which was subsequently accepted. 
However, on Dec 19 an E-mail was generated against him by Salman Iqbal
Chief Executive Officer of the channel network in which false allegations
were leveled against Malik with a calculated move to damage his career
with baseless allegations as an abortive attempt to avoid payment of dues
to him.

The PFUJ contended that non payment of remaining salaries and dues of
staff either sacked or resigned is order of the day in ARY. Thus, many
journalists like Mr. Malik are waiting their rightful dues to be cleared
by ARY management.

Expressing concern over the sorry state of affairs prevailing in the ARY
Channel, the PFUJ said that lawlessness is prevailing in the entire
channel where there is no service rules and regulations for the
protection of the rights. The channel owners first lure media workers for
attractive packages and after making ground summarily dismiss them from
the services .

This tendency is in fact ruining the professional carrier of hundreds of
seasoned journalists. There is no concept of pension, gratuity, provident
fund, grades, and other benefits of services in the media channels and the
entire staff is being hired on contract basis like a domestic servant
hiring by an individual.

The PFUJ pointed out that by and large electronic media channels are made
torture chambers for society and being exploited for personal gains and
instead of providing accurate facts to the views and “right to know” to
the public. Those who are being invited in the talk shows being disgraced
and insulted with impunity creating very bad impression before society
about the norms of journalism.

The PFUJ regretted that the government agencies responsible for ensuring
the implementation of labour laws, protecting the rights of the media
practitioners miserably failed to maintain writ of rule of law in the
media houses which encouraged them to flout the laws with impunity.

The PFUJ appealed the international community to take notice of such sorry
state of affairs prevailing in the media houses and to support the just
cause of the media practitioners of Pakistan who are forced to work in
very hostile environment.

Shamsul Islam Naz
Secretary General 
PAKISTAN FEDERAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS
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