Pakistan First female video journalist gets RMNP Sadiq Press Freedom Award, 2011

A view of the stage of the RMNP Annual Sadiq Press Freedom Award Ceremony

AHMEDPUREAST (Rural Pakistan): October 3, Pakistan first Islamabad based female video journalist Mrs Sadia Sehar Haidri received RMNP annual Sadiq Press Freedom award amounting Rs 1, 25,000 and shield in a splendid event organised by the Rural Media Network Pakistan (RMNP) in Food Club AhmedpurEast last night. Award giving ceremony was chaired by Chairman Mass Communication Department Islamia University Bahawalpur Doctor Professor Ghulam Shabbir Baloch while Central President Bahawalpur National Awami Party (BNAP) Farooq Azam Malik and prominent political figure Hassan Askari Sheikh were the chief guests on this occasion. President Bahawalpur Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BCCI) Sahibzada Muzzamilur Rashid Abbasi, Central Additional Secretary BNAP Mian Rafiatur Rehman Rehmani, Ex-Chairman Municipal Committee AhmedpurEast Mian Mohd Ilyas Ayaz and President Markazi Anjuman-e-Tajran & Chairman Market Committee Mian Mohammad Younas attended the ceremony as guests of honour while District President PML(QA) Syed Salahuddin Ahmed Jeelani, District General Secretary PPP Bahawalpur Mohammad Ali Ahsan, senior leader PML(N) & District Chairman Zakat & Ushr Committee Bahawalpur Sardar Shehzad Suhail Khan Khakwani, President Ahmedpur Press Club Suleman Farooqi, Coordinator RMNP Ladies wing City AhmedpurEast Ms Naila Batool, Coordinator RMNP Mubarakpur Mazhar Rasheed, President Bahawalpur Union of Journalists Amin Abbasi and President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar also addressed the ceremony.

RMNP Coordinator for Ladies Mrs Najamunisa Bukhari and Chairman Mass Communication Department Islamia University Dr Ghulam Shabbir Baloch present shield and cheque to Saadia Sehar.

 

Central Coordinator RMNP ( Ladies Wing) Ms Najamun Nisa Bukhari presented RMNP shield to Mrs Sadia Sehar acknowledging her courage and dedication with profession while Chairman Mass Communication Department Islamia University Bahawalpur Dr Professor Ghulam Shabbir Baloch gave her a cheque of RMNP Sadiq Press Award amounting Rs 1,25,000 sponsored by World Association of Newspapers & News publishers (WAN-IFRA).Central leader Bahawalpur National Awami Party(BNAP) Mian Rafiatur Rehman also announced Rs twenty thousand net cash for Mrs Sadia Sehar which was handed over by President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar in the dinner ceremony. Professor Dr Ghulam Shabbir Baloch, Farooq Azam Malik, Hassan Askari Sheikh, Mian Ilyas Ayaz, Mian Rafiatur Rehman, Mian Mohd Younas, President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar and other speakers paid rich tributes to Sadia Sehars husband Azizullah Haideri a correspondent and photographer for the Reuters news agency who was shot dead by armed persons on November 19, 2001 in Afghanistan along with his three other western countries colleagues.

A large number of  girls and women participated the RMNP Sadiq Press Freedom Award Ceremony.

Political leaders, press freedom advocates and journalists said that Sadia Sehar set a new precedent for women in Pakistani media by adopting her husband’s profession after his brutal murder. They underlined the need to raise the status of women working in urban oriented media by giving them decision making positions and to rectify the glaring absence of female rural journalists among the thousands of district correspondents representing 65 percent rural populace of the country.

Ms Naila Batool highlighting female journalists issues while kids of late Azizullah Haideri and Saadia Sehar listening the speakers in press freedom award ceremony.

Pakistan first female video journalist Sadia Sehar thanked Rural Media Network Pakistan (RMNP) for selecting her for the WAN-IFRA sponsored award .She said that RMNP is the first press freedom organization in Pakistan which had instituted press freedom award in Pakistan in 2005 and the sponsoring by WAN-IFRA is the recognition of RMNP press freedom related activities. She hoped that the RMNP would expand its activities in near future to encourage victimized media persons in both rural and urban areas. She vowed to continue her husband’s legacy, regardless of restrictions.

President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar presents PKR 20,000/- to Saadia Sehar on the behalf of BNAP central leader Mian Rafatur Rehman.

Sadia stated that her husband wanted to help poor people, and document their lives and struggles,” “He worked for the freedom of the press. “I want to free the press. I want freedom of speech. If you don’t have freedom of speech, you can’t say anything” he used to say to me”. Saadia started weeping while remembering her husband. A large number of women including educationists,civil society activists,former elected representatives and journalists also attended this ceremony.

Saadia Sehar, Dr Ghulam Shabbir Baloch, Farooq Azam Malik, Naila Batool, Hassan Askri Sheikh, Rafatur Rehman, Muzamil Abbasi, Ilyas Ayaz and other speakers addressing the ceremony.

Girls participants  greeted Ms Saadia Sehar for her nomination for WAN-IFRA Sadiq Press Freedom award and said that they were inspired by her courage and now they would try to become journalists.Chairman Mass Communication Department Islamia University Bahawalpur Dr Professor Ghulam Shabbir Baloch invited Mrs Saadia Sehar for lecturing in Islamia University which she accepted.

Notables of the city and journalists listening the speeches of politicians and media experts in ceremony.