RMNP Confers 2019 Sadiq Press Freedom Award Posthumously on Journalist Mazhar Rasheed

The Rural Media Network Pakistan (RMNP) today conferred the 2019 Sadiq Press Freedom Award Category(B )on late Mazhar Rasheed Misson correspondent leading Urdu Daily newspaper “Jang” Mubarakpur, which carries a cash award of Rs 10,000 .This year RMNP Sadiq Press Freedom Award ( Category Second)was instituted with the support of Prince Bahawal Abbas Khan Abbasi.Mazhar Rasheed Misson  who died on June 21 ,2019  in Saudi Arabia had about 30  years experience in journalism.He was founding president of  press club Mubarakpur and coordinator RMNP Mubarakpur.

Late Mazhar was fearless fighter of press freedom and  first of all on May 3, 2002,  he started to celebrate  World Press Freedom Day (WPFD)in rural Pakistan under the auspices of National Press Union and rural newspaper Nawa-I-AhmedpurSharqia.Journalists from different rural areas and  small towns attended four World Press Freedom Day events  from 2002 to 2005 in Mubarakpur town.Mazhar Rasheed took active part in monitoring the press freedom violations, organised three training workshops in collaboration with RMNP,UNESCO and DCMF.These training sessions were attended by both male and female journalists of Mubrakpur and its nearby rural areas.Late Mazhar Rasheed founded the press club Mubarakpur with his personal money and united all local journalists under its umbrella. Last year  on 3rd May,2018 ,he organised World Press Freedom Day Round table in press club Mubarakpur in collaboration with the Rural Media Network Pakistan(RMNP).Late Mazhar Rasheed also organised RMNP TV journalism seminar in Mubarakpur on August 5,2009 in which former federal minister for Information & broadcasting Muhammad Ali Durrani participated as chief guest while the journalists hailing from  city RahimyarKhan , city AhmedpurEast and rural areas of Mubarakpur,Chanigoth,Khanqah Sharif and Uchsharif  attended this splendid event.Former federal minister  Muhammad Ali Durrani  distributed ICFJ  Urdu language TV Journalism training manual among  thirteen journalists of Bahawalpur and RahimYarKhan district.Late Mazhar Rasheed also served as district general secretary Bahawalpur Union of Journalists Bahawalpur(BUJ) an affiliate of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists,(PFUJ).He was also recipient of RMNP Press Freedom Defendant Award which was conferred upon him in December 2005 as a recognition of his remarkable services which he rendered as press freedom advocate in rural Pakistan.

Mazhar Rasheed’s contribution to regional journalism would be remembered for long as he was the lone voice that kept inspiring the young journalists of the backward Mubarakpur town and its allied rural areas ,said President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar in a statement issued here today.He paid homage  to late Mazhar Rasheed Misson  for supporting RMNP’s press freedom  activities since its inception in 2004.

Recognising Mr Mazhar ‘s courage and dedication to the profession an award of PKR 10,000 will be presented to his son MueedurRasheed Misson on 12th July(Friday) at 5 PM in a ceremony which is being organised in the premises of Iqra Public Hogh school Mubarakpur under the auspices of the Rural Media Network Pakistan (RMNP) and Private Schools Association (PEF Partners)

The RMNP Sadiq Press Freedom Award was founded in 2005 and aims to recognise the courage and commitment of journalists and media organisations and to focus national and international attention towards the state of media freedom in Pakistan. For more information visit www.ruralmedianetworkpk.org