ISLAMABAD: Senior Journalist Mazhar Abbas has said that though press clubs were once considered prestigious institutions with members and visitors proud of being part of them, politics have tainted their image and that of journalists.

He said the clubs have also started giving memberships to people who are not journalists.

Addressing at an event marking the second day of the Fourth National Media Conference, organised by Individualland Pakistan and Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FnF), Mr Abbas talked about the status and importance of press clubs in Pakistan.

He explained that internal politics in the clubs meant the decisions of the general body were not implemented. He added: “Fake memberships are given out to win elections. The Karachi Press Club’s card was recovered from a militant after he was killed.”


Senior journalist Mazhar Abbas says press clubs are now giving memberships to non-journalists


Another problem, he said, was that journalists nowadays did not follow the decorum of the clubs. For example, he said, press clubs should not be run with donations from the government.

He said they should finance themselves or reduce their expenses if they could not generate that many funds and that larger press clubs should support the smaller ones.

Giving an example, he said the National Press Club (NPC) in Islamabad did not act like an NPC and that it “should become a model for other press clubs and should set its membership standards very high”.

He called upon the NPC Islamabad to form a committee of senior journalists for deciding on memberships and said journalists should be given formal training. Unfortunately, he said, press clubs only focused on improving their canteens.

He suggested, “Press clubs should compile their history so new comers know more about them and that new memberships should only be given after a proper process, including interviews.

The president of the Karachi Press Club, Fazil Jamili, said that the clubs should be holding training workshops and debates about the issues journalists face. Instead, he said, they were concentrating on improving their canteens.

The canteens, too, had problems, said Mr Jamili adding that even well off journalists expected cheaper rates at the press club dining halls.

Talking about better times, a journalist from Balochistan, Shahzada Zulfiqar, said that at the time of martial law, press club would provide politicians with a space to express themselves, even if the news could not be published.

He said that the Quetta Press Club had played an important role in solving the issues between the government and doctors who were on strike.

He said there were many press clubs in Balochistan, which was not right: “The Balochistan government wanted to give Rs200,000 to press clubs in all districts but the money could not be released because there were more than one press club in every city.

They had opened in shops, in drawing rooms and in a lot of small places. There should just be one press club in every district.”

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2015

Opinion

In defamation’s name

In defamation’s name

It provides yet more proof that the undergirding logic of public authority in Pakistan is legal and extra-legal coercion rather than legitimised consent.

Editorial

Mercury rising
Updated 27 May, 2024

Mercury rising

Each of the country's leaders is equally responsible for the deep pit Pakistan seems to have fallen into.
Antibiotic overuse
27 May, 2024

Antibiotic overuse

ANTIMICROBIAL resistance is an escalating crisis claiming some 700,000 lives annually in Pakistan. It is the third...
World Cup team
27 May, 2024

World Cup team

PAKISTAN waited until the very end to name their T20 World Cup squad. Even then, there was last-minute drama. Four...
ICJ rebuke
Updated 26 May, 2024

ICJ rebuke

The reason for Israel’s criminal behaviour is that it is protected by its powerful Western friends.
Hot spells
26 May, 2024

Hot spells

WITH Pakistan already dealing with a heatwave that has affected 26 districts since May 21, word from the climate...
Defiant stance
26 May, 2024

Defiant stance

AT a time when the country is in talks with the IMF for a medium-term loan crucial to bolstering the fragile ...