This statement was made by Robina Fadai, one of the journalists who has worked in various media outlets in Kabul over the past ten years and now lives in Islamabad, in a conversation with the Kauser News Agency. She described the general situation of journalists, especially women journalists, in Pakistan as inappropriate and called on international relief organizations to take serious action to address the issues faced by these journalists.
This comes while the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) recently reported that they have provided €350 for each journalist inside Afghanistan, €2000 for Afghan journalists in Pakistan, and €4000 for those who received visas to buy plane tickets. However, Ms. Robina Fadai considers all these reports unfounded, stating that these aids have not reached real journalists.
Regarding the situation of women journalists, she provided information and added, “After the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, the space for everyone, especially working women including journalists, became restricted, and a number of women fled to Pakistan for a better life. But they are now facing severe conditions here.”
Robina’s sole wish is for international relief organizations and host countries to relocate journalists in danger to safer countries. However, in her belief, due to various reasons, a considerable number of journalists are still in Pakistan and suffering from poor economic and social conditions.
Regarding covering living expenses in Pakistan, she stated, “Here, apart from raising our voices for advocacy from international tribunes, there is no other way to work and cover our living expenses.”
Robina also added that based on the information she has, no foreign aid organization has supported women journalists in this country so far. She expressed her concerns about the prevalence of fake journalists, saying, “Unfortunately, during the transitions that took place, many individuals with forged journalism documents left for foreign countries. Therefore, without a doubt, among the journalists in Pakistan, there are also individuals who, like these fake individuals, have caused delays and even the suspension of the process of transferring journalists to foreign countries.”
