Joint Statement: Attacks On Women In Media In Pakistan

Location: Pakistan
Date: August 21, 2020

Vicious attacks through social media are being directed at women journalists and commentators in Pakistan, making it incredibly difficult for us to carry out our professional duties.

The target of these attacks are women with differing viewpoints and those whose reports have been critical of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s government, and more specifically its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

The online attacks are instigated by government officials and then amplified by a large number of Twitter accounts, which declare their affiliation to the ruling party.

In what is certainly a well-defined and coordinated campaign, personal details of women journalists and analysts have been made public. To further discredit, frighten and intimidate us, we are referred to as peddlers of “fake news”, “enemy of the people” and accused of taking bribes (often termed as "paid" journalists or lifafas).

In some instances, our pictures and videos have also been morphed.

Women in the media are not only targeted for their work, but also their gender. Our social media timelines are then barraged with gender-based slurs, threats of sexual and physical violence. These have the potential to incite violence and lead to hate crimes, putting our physical safety at risk.

Lately, there have also been attempts to hack into the social media accounts of reporters and analysts, as well as limit our access to information. In some cases, journalists have been locked out of their social media accounts as a result of hacking attempts.

Women in the media, especially those on social media platforms, are finding it increasingly difficult to remain on these platforms and engage freely. Many now self-censor, refrain from sharing information, giving their opinion or actively engaging online.

These sustained attacks undermine public trust in journalism and go against the basic tenets of democracy. It is a public right to access accurate and reliable information, especially during a public health emergency.

We are being prevented from exercising our right to free speech and participate in public discourse. When we self-censor, others are prevented from receiving information to form their views, which is a violation of their rights under Article 19-A.

When attacks and threats are made against us, we do not enjoy the protection of the law as guaranteed under Article 4, and this is the direct result of the actions of those who hold positions in government and are affiliated with the PTI.

Last July, Shireen Mazari, the minister for human rights, promised to take notice of threats against journalists and to address the climate of abuse, bullying, fear and censorship. Ms. Mazari, we are waiting.

We demand that the government:

1) Immediately restrain its members from repeatedly targeting women in the media

2) Send out a clear message to all party members, supporters and followers, to desist from launching these attacks, whether directly or indirectly

3) Hold all such individuals within the government accountable and take action against them

 We also call upon the Standing Committees on Human Rights of the upper and lower house of parliament to take notice and hold the government accountable by ensuring they acknowledge, apologize and list the actions they will now take to put an end to such a threatening environment.

 

Signed by:

  1. Mehmal Sarfraz

  2. Benazir Shah

  3. Amber Shamsi

  4. Zebunnisa Burki

  5. Ramsha Jahangir 

  6. Asma Shirazi

  7. Ayesha Bakhsh

  8. Gharidah Farooqi

  9. Aleena Farooq Sheikh

  10. Alia Chughtai

  11. Reema Omer

  12. Nazrana Yousafzai

  13. Tanzeela Mazhar

  14. Munizae Jahangir

  15. Farhat Javed

  16. Nasim Zehra 

  17. Aima Khosa

  18. Mehreen Zahra-Malik

  19. Farieha Aziz

  20. Coalition For Women in Journalism 

  21. Kamila Hyat

  22. Rabia Mehmood

  23. Reem Khurshid

  24. Qurratulain (Annie) Zaman

  25. Marium Chaudhry

  26. Nosheen Abbas

  27. The International Coalition for Women in Journalism

  28. Ailia Zehra

  29. Najia Ashar

  30. Sadaf Khan

  31. R Umaima Ahmed

  32. Umber Khairi

  33. Muna Khan

  34. Kiran Nazish

  35. Afia Salam

  36. Lubna Jerar Naqvi

  37. Maheen Usmani

  38. Sana Bucha

  39. Ailia Zahra

  40. Naziha Syed Ali

  41. Rehana Hakim

  42. Aysha Raja

  43. Nida Kirmani

  44. Sarah Atiq

  45. Fauzia Yazdani

  46. Sameen Mohsin

  47. Aisha Sarwari

  48. Meera Ghani

  49. Nighat Dad

  50. Farahnaz Ispahani

  51. Saba Ismail

  52. Gulalai Ismail

  53. Afshan Masab

  54. Network of Women Journalists for Digital Rights

  55. Women’s Action Forum, Lahore

  56. Women’s Action Forum, Karachi

  57. Iqra Haris

  58. Maheen Pracha

  59. Zohra Yusuf

  60. Tasneem Ahmar

  61. Nadia Malik 

  62. Laiba Zainab

  63. Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP)

  64. Sairah Irshad Khan

  65. Neelam Aslam

  66. Sara Malkani

  67. Seemal Hashmi

  68. Sara Ilyas

  69. Aimen Siddiqui

  70. Beena Sarwar

  71. Saba Gul

  72. Fatima Zaidi

  73. Women Lawyers Association (WLA)

  74. Sadia Kamal

  75. Shazia Nayyar

  76. Sabahat Khan 

  77. Afshan Qureshi

  78. Naila Naeem 

  79. Aneela Shaheen

  80. Aneela Ashraf

  81. Nargis Janjua

  82. Farha Naz

  83. Shamim Ashraf

  84. Shazia Tahir

  85. Ayesha Naz 

  86. Aqsa Junejo 

  87. Shaista Yousuf

  88. Khadeeja Siddiqui 

  89. Farwa Waheed

  90. Ramish Fatima

  91. Aleena Alavi

  92. Batul Rajpoot

  93. Maham Ali

  94. Women Democratic Front

  95. Rubina Saigol

  96. Nasreen Siddiqi

  97. Zunaira Saqib

  98. Moneeza Ahmed

  99. Zofeen Ebrahim

  100. Zaryab Rajpoot

  101. Anis Haroon

  102. Wajiha Hyder

  103. Women's Action Forum - Islamabad

  104. Beenish Javed

  105. Tahira Abdullah

  106. Gulmeenay Sethi 

  107. Ayesha Khan

  108. Aurat March Lahore

  109. Tania Saeed

  110. Angbeen Mirza

  111. Sadaf Aziz

  112. Women Democratic Front

  113. Saba Hamid

  114. Khawar Mumtaz

  115. Tooba Syed

  116. Zoya rehman

  117. Khushbakht Sohai

  118. Xenia Mehsud

  119. Laila Raza

  120. Kainat Mujahid

  121. Areej Hussain

  122. Anam Rathore

  123. Marha Fathma

  124. Shajea Sultan

  125. Tanveer Jehan

  126. Nighat Said Khan

  127. Memoona Rauf

  128. Maria Rashid

  129. Nasrene Shah

  130. Kausar S Khan

  131. Women’s Action Forum, Hyderabad

  132. Aiman Rizvi

  133. Haniya Mansoor

  134. Aabida Ali

  135. Ilma Zuberi

  136. Zainab Husain

  137. Baresham Ali Khan

  138. Sana Naqvi

  139. Sheema Kermani

  140. Tehrik-e-Niswan

 

The CFWIJ strongly condemns the police brutality against journalists. We demand the immediate return of the press cards seized from the security forces. Policies to intimidate journalists should be abandoned, and journalism should be practiced under the criteria of freedom of the press.

If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.

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