Pakistan: Reporter Maryam Nawaz Khan Harassed At Political Rally; CFWIJ Condemns Incident
Location: Pakistan, Islamabad
Date: March 28, 2022
The television reporter for Geo News Urdu, Maryam Nawaz Khan was harassed by a group of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf supporters while covering the political rally that took place on Sunday, March 27. A video of the incident came to light and is being circulated on social media where a group of men donning the colors of the political party attempted to stop Maryam from fulfilling her duties.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the political party in Pakistan held a power show in the capital in response to the no-confidence motion the opposition has filed against it. Prior to the event, there were rumors circulating among media groups that the coverage rights would exclusively be given to the state channel, Pakistan Television (PTV), creating mass confusion regarding the coverage process for private channels. Imran Khan, the current Prime Minister, has also had a history of inciting his support base against members of the press critical of his politics.
In the video, now widely available on Twitter, it is visible that a group of men who were present at the event to offer support to the government, surrounded and harangued Maryam Nawaz Khan, whose employer channel Geo has remained critical in its coverage of the PTI. While one of the supporters urges his peers to keep calm and not misbehave with the press, most of the men in view refuse to pay heed to his request.
I'd day unbelievable but it's not really unbelievable, given the PTI's record on media freedom. #JournalismIsNotACrime https://t.co/RPB1OehM2f
— Zebunnisa Burki (@zburki) March 27, 2022
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the incident and urges political parties in Pakistan to ensure better safety for the press when holding an event that would require coverage. A group of men harassing and interrupting a woman reporter while she is in the field fulfilling her professional obligations is a situation that could have spun out of control very quickly. The democratic process requires a strengthened press community and public displays of popular support will have little long term impact in the long run if the media remains unsafe during coverage.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.