PESHAWAR: The death of another impoverished photojournalist, sacked few months ago, has exposed the worst conditions of journalists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

It was sad to hear that Shabir Awan’s young widow did not have money for his funeral.

“Today we received an application from his widow, seeking financial support as she has no money even for his funeral,” said an official of the information department as it was Soyam (the third day of death) of photojournalist Shabir Awan, who died of brain hemorrhage on Monday.

Shabir Awan, in his 30s and father of four, was dying slowly due to his physical as well as financial problems during the last couple of months.

Widow of photojournalist says she had no money for his funeral

He was kicked out of job suddenly when employer of the local newspaper, he was working for, took retrenchment measures few months ago.

Shabir Awan was a skilled worker but he received only Rs15,000 as monthly salary that is in fact minimum wages fixed by government for unskilled worker. He became jobless suddenly and was unable to pay rent, fees of his children and his medical bills.

While it is observed that media organisations, especially local media, have not been paying competitive market salaries or wages to the workers, the journalists, who are voice of the voiceless in society, are helpless as they can be sacked anytime and stopped by the office gatekeepers from entering the workplace.

There is no job security to shield them from financial woes. Good job opportunities are also nil in the media market of the province. Most of the journalists don’t even have appointment letters and work like daily wagers.

The representative bodies of journalists like Khyber Union of Journalists and press clubs often neglect taking up such serious issues with the employers owing to political rivalries.

Instead such bodies remain busy in collecting and distributing funds in the name of journalists’ welfare.

Peshawar Press Club recently just before elections spent hefty amount on motorbikes scheme for its members but failed to stand behind those, who faced employment-related issues.

“I was watching TV with my children at home when I received an SMS about Shabir’s death. It jolted me. What if it was me? What would happen to my children,” said a photojournalist friend of Shabir Awan. He said that Shabir died of financial woes rather than brain hemorrhage.

Shabir is not the first one to die like this. Last year another young photojournalist Sikandar Shah died in poverty, Kamil Mashadi before him and many more.

Peshawar Press Club also spent about Rs1.5 million in 2016 and almost the same amount in 2017 on account of members’ welfare fund, however, senior journalists believe that giving money is not solution to the problem. “The solution lies in better job conditions and salary packages,” said a senior journalist.

The journalists’ bodies, however, continue to rely on their funds as well as the Endowment Fund in the provincial information department.

The Endowment Fund worth Rs64 million can benefit journalists through a committee headed by the information minister and comprising officials of the department.

Three representatives of different press clubs across the province are made members of the committee for two years.

Majority of journalists, who are either seriously sick or injured or even killed in line of duty, are forgotten but their families can approach information department to claim medical expenses after proving it through a bundle of documents and receipts to avail Rs100,000.

The provincial government pays Rs20,000 for funeral expenses of such journalists. Ironically, if a journalist gets killed in a bomb blast then he is worth something as his family can claim Rs10,00,000 but if he is injured then he is helped with Rs200,000.

An official said that information department received application for financial help from Shabir Awan’s widow and on compassionate grounds the department was going to move a summery and request the chief minister to donate Rs200,000 to the bereaved family.

Journalists in KP are financially weak but apparently they are considered fourth pillar of state. They are even deprived of Insaf health insurance scheme, launched by the government to help the needy in getting medical treatment at public sector hospitals.

“The provincial health department wants the information department to pay the Rs52,00,000 insurance money but we have requested the chief minister to issue a special grant,” said an official.

Last year, however, about Rs4.06 million was paid to around 58 journalists, who claimed their medical expenses from the Endowment Fund. About 14 applications are pending to get Rs100.000.

It would take a while for Shabir’s widow to obtain his death certificate and get Rs20,000 to pay the money she loaned for his funeral. She has no support to raise her four children.

The Journalist Welfare, Safety and Development Foundation, set up by a journalist, that was funded one-time Rs1 million by provincial government plans to pay for the education of orphaned children of journalists.

Published in Dawn, January 5th, 2018