International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists is being observed in Pakistan as elsewhere in world on November 2.  With International Day approaching on November 2, another journalist becomes a story. Ruthless murder of journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya has shaken media fraternity and human rights organisations across Pakistan.

This further added weightage to concerns that journalists have time again raised on their safety and security. Question remains same what is point of forming commissions and launching ‘transparent inquiries’ for appearance’s sake when they never bear any results.

President BOL TV  Faysal Aziz Khan while remembering late journalist revealed that a week back before an appalling incident, he welcomed journalist Arshad Sharif to BOL Network family.

Recalling back some stories in the past, Faysal also told this scribe that at several times he did the same job for other prominent journalists like Imran Riaz Khan, Jameel Farooqui and Sami Abraham amid pressure and threats.  During discussions at length with Faysal Aziz Khan, he uttered, “I was called ‘traitor’ by an ‘unknown man’ for supporting my wounded colleague veteran journalist Hamid Mir who sustained few bullets in a gun attack near Karachi Airport in 2014.”

  It is known to all in the media family that Faysal Aziz Khan is one of the journalists who always stood firm with the journalist community through thick and thin and played a vital role in stressing light on the core issues and the melancholies of the media persons in different times by raising his voice across all platforms including press clubs, PFUJ, KUJ and other such platforms. 

Journalism community is known to face roadblocks, unprecedented attacks in their work including intimidation, harassment, assault, detention, arrest, abduction and even death. In past years, whether during the period of coronavirus epidemic or shutdown of print and electronic media, employees layoff, clearance of long pending dues or any similar issues of journalists, Faysal Aziz Khan made all his best efforts to not only bring such matters into the light of the concerned but also his role was predominant in resolving the grievances of the journalist community in the best possible manner.

Faysal has been vocal against attacks on journalists in Pakistan throughout his career and currently serving as President and Chief News Officer of one of leading news channels in country-BOL News.

There was a time when BOL news channel was left isolated and undoubtedly the employees suffered the most during that darkest period. Khan, who then joined organisation as Vice President traced financial transactions of company and decided to stick with channel, fighting for fate of hundreds of employees associated with channel.

With a hard-hitting struggle of over two years by Khan, challenging the propaganda on legal and national forums that guarantee media impunity, BOL News finally launched its transmission in December 2016 and started regular broadcasting. From politics to mafia, investigative journalism has underlined many territories which no one touches. Media fraternity has always found Khan on front advocating social rights of journalists and offering opportunities to enhance their skills. As a strategic advisor to Presidential Initiative for Artificial Intelligence and Computing he launched several revolutionary innovative programmes including Artificial Intelligence and Block Chain Computing. Fighting for rights of television journalists and their professional training, Khan formed Association of Television Journalists in 2008, making them part of journalist community as shift from print to television journalism was reluctant in different press associations in country.

ATJ, however, later became part of Karachi Press Club. Khan’s colleagues say ‘critical thinking’ and ‘revolutionary integrity’ are inseparable parts of his personality. Attacks on press have increased by over 40 percent in a single year with federal capital Islamabad emerging as ‘riskiest’ place for journalists in Pakistan, Freedom Network-a media watchdog said in its annual press freedom report published in May 2022.

Sindh was highlighted as second most dangerous place with 23 attacks, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was reported as third worst province with 16 violations. Over a two-decade-long career, Khan’s association with several media organisations, including Jang and Geo, got international recognition for his critically-acclaimed investigative reports, be it on Karachi’s underground economy-Karachi Ka Kala Budget or a multinationals kidnapping case by Somalian pirates-MV Albedo. In 2010, Khan served as General Secretary of South Asian Free Media Association’s Sindh wing.

He has been awarded Pakistan Excellence Award (2017), Best Investigative Journalism (2013), Pakistan Media Award (2011), Best IT Journalist Award-Singapore (2002) and Best Reporter (1999). Fayal Aziz in his illustrious career, himself faced death threats for his insightful reports, exposing loopholes in administrative, political and economic policies.

“Fight is forever,” says Khan who has pledged to stand for rights of journalists, their social safety, and their life till his last breath. It is pertinent to mention here that International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists is  UN-recognized international day observed every year on November 2. This day pay high heed to the level of impunity for crimes against journalists, which remains extremely high across the world.

Published in The Daily National Courier, November, 02 2022

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