Farhatullah Babar revealed that 10 journalists were killed in 2012, while as many as 90 journalists were killed during last 10 years. However, we do not have record of attacks, FIRs, murders, injured and the follow-up inquiry of all these incidents and we have also to take data from other sources, if available.
He further said the UN organised a conference in March 2012, wherein it was observed that most of the countries do not have the record of journalists killed in their countries and Pakistan is one of them. Investigation is a far goose cry, we even do not have the record of the journalists who have been killed so far, he added.
The committee condemned the murder attempt on an anchorperson of a private TV channel and demanded of the ministry to write to the Interior Ministry to publish an inquiry report of this case as well as other cases. Rejecting the request for changing the meeting date, the committee expressed dissatisfaction over the way the federal minister for information & broadcasting requested and termed it, creating hurdles in the way of committee work.
The minister should hold consultations with the committee for changing the meeting date, said Kamil, adding that the committee could not follow the agenda of the ministry. Sever criticism from the committee forced the secretary of the ministry to take back their application for postponing the committee meeting. He said that minister was on an official foreign visit, therefore, he requested for change in the date. He also apologised over the way the request for postponing the meeting date was made.