The Overseas Press Club of America (OPC) must echo the outrage expressed by the international press freedom group, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), at beheading of a journalist in the Swat valley shortly after he covered a "peace march" related to the implementation of Sharia law there.
There was no claim of responsibility, but Musa Khankhel, 28, a reporter in the Swat valley for Geo News and the newspaper, The News, was found beheaded a few hours after being seized during a "peace march" near Matta by supporters of the pro-Taliban cleric, Maulan Sufi Muhammad, one of Khankhels colleagues told RSF.
On the same day, according to RSF, a score of armed and masked men blew up the press club in Wana, capital of the South Waziristan tribal area, completely destroying the building. The OPC endorses the day of protest called by The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, whose secretary general said it was "appalling that a journalist should be the first casualty" when a peace agreement had just been signed between Sufi Muhammad and the local government.
And OPC applauds the president of the destroyed press club, Hafiz Wazir, who told RSF: "It was an attack against press freedom, but that will not prevent journalists in the tribal areas from continuing to inform people " We also join with President of the Tribal Union of Journalists (TUJ), Sher Khan, in calling for an immediate government investigation and arrest of those who carried out the bombing and for better protection for the other press clubs in the tribal areas.
But we must protest the violation of journalistic independence by army units occupying some press clubs in towns from which they are launching operations against the Taliban, according to information obtained by RSF. This can only draw more attacks on the clubs and on press freedom itself. OPC agrees with RSF that: "Journalists in these regions who are victims of this war should ... get the support of the authorities and the international community.
Without that, these regions bordering Afghanistan are at risk of becoming news black holes." Equally important is Pakistans image as a nation committed to the press freedom that is essential to a successful democracy and the ultimate stability that Americans believe they are supporting in your country.
(Freedom of the (USA) Press Committee)