New Delhi: Shaista Hakim — the first woman journalist in the city of Swat — has alleged that she was denied a membership in the Swat Press Club because of her gender.
She also said that she had been denied membership in the Electronic Media Association for the same reason.
According to Hakim, her journalistic credentials of nine years were never acknowledged by the local journalistic community in Swat because she is a woman.
The Swat Valley is a deeply conservative region that was once briefly under Taliban control — from 2007 to 2009. It is located in the north-west frontier province of Pakistan, where South Asia, Central Asia and China meet, making it a strategic location.
It was here where Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by the Taliban. Though they cleared out in 2009, a strong military presence remains to safeguard the area.
“Local journalists are not ready to acknowledge my journalistic identity,” Hakim said.
Hakim has worked with Radio Pakistan, Tribal News Network, among other media organisations.
The Pakhtun Journalists Association has come out in support of Hakim and tweeted: “#PJA stands with the only Female Journalist of #Swat @shaistahakim1. Swat Press Club must award her Membership to make our whole community proud.”
https://twitter.com/PakhtunJA/status/1228633234810032128?s=20
According to the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, less than five per cent of the 20,000 journalists working in Pakistan are women.
‘Mystery’ gas leak in Karachi leaves over a dozen dead
Federal and provincial agencies haven’t been able to find the root cause of a gas leak that occurred in a neighbourhood in Karachi — even though it’s been 3 days since people started falling sick. The toll is now 14.
“The efforts to determine the cause or even the exact place of the gas leak failed to bring anything to a conclusion. Interestingly, the government even failed to bring the investigation agencies to the same page when it came to their findings,” Dawn reported.
On the one hand, the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences at the University of Karachi suspects that the cause might be soybean dust, a strong allergen, but on the other, a private laboratory working with the Sindh authorities says there’s “high levels of hydrogen sulfide and nitric oxide in the air”.
Also read: Sidhu, Saudi Crown Prince or Erdoğan — Imran Khan says anyone can be Pakistan PM
In Islamabad, a music festival gone wrong
Last weekend, Islamabad hosted the Solis Festival, a musical event, which turned into a nightmare for many.
Only two of the five performers were able to finish their sets before a rowdy crowd vandalised the stage and even caused the VIP section to collapse, leading to several people getting injured.
The concert was held at the Pakistan National Council of Arts, which has a maximum capacity of 1,000, but it crossed the limit as there were gatecrashers and people who were allegedly sold fake tickets.
A few men and women even alleged that they were molested when the chaos ensued.
https://twitter.com/mayazafarr/status/1228745845383794690?s=20
From mismanagement to over populated event from breaking VIP lounges to destruction of stage, one can easily navigate that we are intolerant society as a whole that needs schooling badly I REPEAT BADLY #Solis #solisfestival #Islamabad pic.twitter.com/MxAqNiBhlM
— SUMAIRA ASHRAF RAJPUT (@sumaira_rajput) February 16, 2020
Deputy Commissioner, Islamabad, Muhammad Hamza Shafqaat has said an investigation into the matter is underway. He also said the company behind the festival has been blacklisted.
11th edition of Karachi Literature Festival from next week
Over 200 speakers are expected to attend the Karachi Literature Festival, which is set to take place from 28 February to 1 March.
The festival aims to “promote and encourage literary discourse and debate”.
Apart from Pakistan, authors from the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Germany and Italy are expected to attend the event.
This year, the theme focuses on “how the written and spoken word connects across borders and results in exchange of ideas and inspiration for literary works, focusing not just on a particular geography but looking at how the written word transcends borders and travels across continents”.
Writers William Dalrymple and Urdu columnist Zaheda Hina will be the keynote speakers on the inaugural day.
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