Taliban threaten press in Swat valley

BY rsf| IN Media Practice | 29/04/2009

Leaflets were posted on April 28, 09  outside the offices of news media in the Swat valley city of Mingora threatening "terrible consequences" for those that do not stop their "anti-Taliban coverage." The leaflets were signed by suicide candidates "fidayeen" of Swat’s Tehreek-e-Taliban.

Written in Urdu, the Taliban leaflet said: "All the editors of wire services, private and official news agencies and journalists and columnists are informed that the way you present news and report events give us the impression that you are now pursuing a pro-west policy, under greed or pressure, saying the Taliban are sabotaging the peace and enforcement of the Islamic system"

Several journalists including Ghulam Farooq, the editor of the local newspaper Shamal, told Reporters Without Borders that Swat’s media community was taking the threats very seriously. "We will soon have no other option but to close our offices and leave the district," Farooq said.

 "These Taliban threats are unacceptable and seriously endanger the safety of the journalists working courageously in the Swat valley," Reporters Without Borders said. "We appeal to Maulana Sufi Muhammad, the historic leader of the Movement for the Enforcement of the Prophet Muhammad’s Sharia (TNSM), who told recently Reporters Without Borders he believed in press freedom, to guarantee the safety of journalists and to put a stop to these threats."

In a report on its recent fact-finding visit to the Swat valley, Reporters Without Borders deplored the fact that application of the Sharia was being used by Taliban groups as grounds for restricting freedom of expression even more.

"The growing use of violence that culminated in reporter Mosa Khankhel’s murder in February is now compounded by a climate of fear and self-censorship that has turned the Swat valley into one of the world’s most dangerous places for journalists," Reporters Without Borders said. "It would be deplorable if Taliban groups used enforcement of the Sharia to restrict the freedom of expression of its inhabitants, including journalists, even more."

The fear imposed by the Taliban, including Maulana (religious leader) Qazi Fazlullah and his illegal radio broadcasts, is directly affecting free expression. The terror has increased the tendency of journalists to censor themselves. Women’s rights and abuses committed by Maulana Fazlullah’s followers are being covered less and less by the local press.

Maulana Sufi Muhammad, the founder of the Tehreek Nifaz-e-Shariah Muhammadi (Movement for the Enforcement of the Prophet Muhammad’s Sharia - TNSM), told Reporters Without Borders that he believed in press freedom. He nonetheless also claimed that the Sharia forbids discussing past events, including the actions of Taliban activists.

The Taliban are imposing their law in the region, forbidding women to go out unaccompanied and unveiled, and have destroyed more than 100 schools for girls. They also forbid any criticism of Islam and punish those who listen to music or sell DVDs.

The 16 February accord allowing Islamic courts and enforcement of the Sharia in the Swat valley in return for an end to fighting by the militants has restored a semblance of stability but has already had a negative impact on press freedom. "Independent journalism is going to be more and more difficult," a TV reporter said. "Who is going to protect me from the Taliban militants operating openly in the towns and villages? We are no longer going to be able to do independent reporting on the activities of the Taliban."

The media have been badly scarred by the two years of fighting, in which journalists have been caught in the crossfire between the army and the Taliban. Both sides have prevented the press from talking about the atrocities that have been committed in the name of enforcement of the Sharia or the fight against terrorism.

Sharia against press freedom?

Local journalists have been voicing concern for their freedom and safety since last month’s pact. While most of them welcome the end of the fighting, they are aware of their vulnerability. "It will be hard for independent journalism to survive under Islamic laws," said the president of the local press club. "For example, will cases of defamation be tried? The coming period is likely to be much more dangerous for professional journalists."

The editor of the local newspaper Chand said: "We will have to censor ourselves to survive. Both sides have already warned us to avoid sensationalism in order not to jeopardise the peace accord."

Onset of armed clashes two years ago ended calm in Swat valley

An independent principality until 1969, the Swat valley is a mountainous region in North-West Frontier Province, north of Peshawar. It often used to be called the "Switzerland of Pakistan" because of its natural beauty. With about 1.2 million inhabitants, it is a special area that comes under the Provincially Administrated Tribal Areas (PATA).

The Swat valley has six regional newspapers: Chand, Shamal, Salam, Khabarkar, Azadi and Awaz-e-Swat. National dailies are also distributed there. The head of a distribution company told Reporters Without Borders that newspaper sales were much higher than in all the neighbouring districts. The daily Shamal has a print run of 8,000 copies. Azadi prints at least 5,000 copies a day. Thanks to past investment, the rates of literacy and access to health are quite high.

Cable television is also very popular in Swat. The main city, Mingora, had three cable TV operators offering many Pakistani and international stations.

The dynamism of the press explains the existence of a press club that has been very active since 1985. Thanks to government help, a building constructed in 2000 offers members telecommunication services and a modern conference room.

Journalists under threat from all quarters

Both the army and the Taliban deny responsibility for attacks on the press, but the accounts provided by journalists in the Swat valley indicate that both sides have been guilty of serious press freedom violations.

"We have been working in very difficult circumstances for two years," said Ghulam Farooq, the editor of Shamal, the valley’s most widely read daily. "The Taliban commanders were furious at being described as rebels rather than mujahideen. And the soldiers wanted the media on their side in the battle against the insurgents."

Farooq said he has been threatened many times, and that each side tries to influence his choice of words. "The Taliban don’t like the term suicide bomber," he said. "They prefer fidayee, which means sacrifice of one’s life in Urdu. But the military get angry if we use the word fidayee."

The Taliban advance into Mingora has forced four newspapers - Khabarkar, Azadi, Chand and Awaz-e-Swat - to leave the city. Chand’s editor, Rashid Iqbal, moved his operation to Peshawar. "Unidentified individuals threatened us with reprisals if we did not close our offices by 9 pm," he said. "It was impossible to put the paper to bed so early, so we had to leave."

Read the full report at http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=30742