PFJA President Iqbal Yousufi Addresses SAARC Journalists’ Conference in Colombo — Highlights Harassment of Pakistani Journalists in India

23 November 1994

A special meeting of journalists’ associations from SAARC countries was held in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. The host organization was the Sri Lanka Union of Journalists. The opening ceremony was inaugurated by the President of Sri Lanka, while the second session was opened by the Minister of Information of Sri Lanka.

Representatives from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and other countries of the region participated — a total of 21 delegates attended the event. The participants presented reports on the state of human rights and press freedom in their respective countries and discussed regional differences affecting media freedom.

The delegates from Nepal and Pakistan accused India of interfering in certain internal matters. The Pakistani delegate and President of the Pakistan Freelance Journalists Association (PFJA), Iqbal Yousufi, in his address, charged that India harasses Pakistani journalists after issuing them visas, creating difficulties for them through its administration and intelligence agencies.

Citing the arrest and torture of Mohammad Azhar Masood, editor of a Pakistani monthly magazine, who was detained in India the previous year and has been missing ever since, Mr. Yousufi strongly condemned the incident.

He added that no Indian journalist visiting Pakistan has ever been harassed or even questioned by Pakistani authorities. Mr. Yousufi said that if the Indian Embassy finds any journalist suspicious, it should simply refuse to issue a visa, instead of trapping journalists like prey, calling such behavior the worst form of diplomatic thuggery.

In response to Mr. Yousufi’s protest, six Indian delegates present at the meeting assured him they would raise the matter with their government. His demand received full support from representatives of all SAARC countries.

The five-day conference in Colombo was also attended by Aidan White, General Secretary of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), along with representatives from Singapore’s journalists’ organization and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES).

During the sessions, leading Sri Lankan intellectuals delivered special lectures on human rights, regional challenges, and the impact of local conditions on journalism.

IFJ/FES Regional Conference for Journalists’ Unions of South Asia, Colombo, 22-25 Nov 1994.

 Content:

In November 1994, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) jointly organised a regional conference for journalists’ unions of South Asia, held in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The invitation letter (dated 13 November 1994, addressed to Mr Iqbal Yousufi, President of the Pakistan Freelance Journalists Association (PFJA)) confirms his attendance and the travel itinerary for the event.

According to the invitation:

• The event titled “South Asian Media in a Situation of Conflict” was scheduled for 22–25 November 1994 at the Holiday Inn, Colombo.

• Mr Yousufi’s flight from Lahore was scheduled on 20 Nov (PK 313); arrival via Karachi on 21 Nov (UL 182) with arrival in Colombo early on 22 Nov; and return from Colombo on 27 Nov via Karachi (UL 181) arriving Pakistan the same night; and onward from Karachi on 28 Nov (PK 314) to final destination.

• The letter underscores that the invitation and travel arrangements were being handled via the Pakistan Office, Islamabad of FES.

Why the conference was important:

• It brought together journalists’ union leaders and delegates from across the SAARC region. The intent was to foster solidarity, networking and collective advocacy on issues of press freedom, human rights, and regional challenges for journalists.

• The theme “Media in a Situation of Conflict” was timely: South Asia in the early 1990s faced multiple inter-state tensions, internal conflicts, and evolving media landscapes. A gathering of this kind allowed unions to share experiences, build regional campaigns, and strengthen their voice.

• For Pakistani freelancing journalists represented by PFJA, attendance meant having direct access to regional platforms and dialogue with peers from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives and other neighbouring media bodies.

• The involvement of FES (a German foundation working with labour and media organisations) and IFJ added international legitimacy and resources, signalling that journalist unions in South Asia were part of a broader global labour/press freedom movement.