Daily Times

The Awami Workers Party (AWP) condemned the armed attack on the office of Vash TV channel in Karachi.

In a joint statement, AWP senior vice-President Yousufmasti Khan, general secretary Akhtar Hussain Advocate and spokesperson Farooq Tariq expressed deep concerns at frequent attacks on the Balochi language channel ‘Vaash’ by armed men and termed it an attempt to silence the voices of dissent.

“Vash channel is a voice of the oppressed and has always highlighted issues of the people of oppressed nations and the voiceless”, they said.

Condemning the ongoing intimidation of independent media outlets and journalists, the AWP leaders said that such coercive tactics were against the fundamental right to freedom of expression and freedom of media guaranteed by the constitution.

The Awami Workers Party leaders demanded an immediate arrest of the attackers and payment of compensation to the ‘Vash’ TV channel for the losses at its offices.

International and national human rights and media organizations have time and again expressed their concern at the increasing incidents of violence against media personnel and media outlets. In May 2014, the United Nations (UN) declared Pakistan “the most dangerous country in the world for working journalists.” Earlier this year, Pakistan was ranked 139 out of 180 countries on the World Press Freedom Index.

Published in Daily Times, June 2^nd 2018.