Displaced journalists facing a tough time

Mass exodus from the insurgency hit areas of Malakand Division has forced the local journalists to move to some safer places as publication of newspapers in the ongoing situation has become impossible. Four daily newspapers out of the five have ceased publication, and a large number of journalists from Swat, Buner and Lower Dir are going through tough time.
The offices of Daily Shamal, Chand, Khabar Kar and Salam have been closed, while Daily Azadi, a prominent newspaper of Swat, has temporarily been shifted to Islamabad. I have shifted my office to Islamabad temporarily for the last couple of months and continued publishing the newspaper from here with an aim to provide the internally displaced persons (IDPs) the latest information about their camps, Chief Editor Daily Azadi, Mumtaz Sadiq told APP on Saturday.
He said several media-persons came under indiscriminate firing by unknown people, their vehicles were damaged, while houses and properties robbed. He said the office of Daily Azadi was severely damaged on a number of occasions during the past two years, but despite all odds its publication was not ceased and it continued conveying unhindered information to people.
He said the senior news editor of Daily Azadi Ghafoor Khan, and two other reporters were still under siege in Tehsil Kabal. He appealed to the government and newspaper organisations to announce compensation for the journalists who have suffered material losses, while efforts should be made for the safe exit of besieged journalists.
Chief Editor Daily Chand, Rasheed Iqbal said that due to the prevailing tense situation in the area and huge losses incurred upon him, he had ceased the publication of his paper. He said majority of the journalists working in the restive region had migrated to down town districts, and were living in the makeshift relief camps.
He thanked Prime Minister Gilani for announcing one million rupees for the affected journalists. He said the displaced journalists were also thankful to a French organisation of journalists for providing 5,000 euros to them. "But much more needs to be done for the journalist community," he added. He asked the journalist organisations and philanthropists to come forward and donate generously for the affected journalists.