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Senior journalist Asma Shirazi on Sunday denounced a persistent harassment campaign targeting her and other female journalists, saying \u201cenough is enough\u201d, as prominent media figures endorsed a petition<\/a> by the Digital Rights Foundation (DRF) calling for an end to organised harassment by political parties.<\/p>\n The petition has so far been signed by over 60 figures in print, television, and digital media.<\/p>\n Speaking to Dawn.com<\/em>, Shirazi said that political parties have executed targeted harassment campaigns against female journalists for some time now, stating that the petition by the DRF showed that these campaigns will no longer be tolerated.<\/p>\n \u201cI have been made a target several times,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m made a subject of discussion to intimidate and threaten others.\u201d<\/p>\n The journalist added that a \u201ccore committee member of a political party\u201d carried out these campaigns through a channel on YouTube, using vulgar imagery of female journalists in his thumbnails.<\/p>\n \u201cHe is not separate from the party, nor has the party disassociated from him,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cHe puts up pictures of women and uses vulgar thumbnails to earn dollars. Of course, there is great concern about this.\u201d<\/p>\n Shirazi did not mention the party member by name, or the party he belongs to.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is great unrest among female journalists about one-sided propaganda spread on X and Facebook,\u201d Shirazi said. \u201cHarassment is commonplace, which is why I have challenged this issue. We need to highlight this and ask how long these one-sided campaigns will continue, even against male journalists.<\/p>\n \u201cThe DRF has taken up this initiative and this [stopping harassment] is its main focus. Enough is enough,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Earlier, Shirazi took to the X platform and denounced the targeted harassment. Responding to a post by the Coalition for Women in Journalism \u201cWe stand unwaveringly for truth and will continue to speak out, no matter the cost,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, in a press release issued on Friday, the Network of Women Journalists for Digital Rights (NWJDR) strongly condemned what it termed a \u201cgendered disinformation campaign\u201d against Shirazi.<\/p>\n According to the release, Shirazi was targeted by \u201cprominent political party supporters and political commentators and bloggers\u201d.<\/p>\n The party was not mentioned by name.<\/p>\n \u201cThe harassment and vile comments against Asma Shirazi are baseless and hinge upon character assassination by online trolls and political commentators with huge followings,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n \u201cWe urge political parties to take disciplinary action against those involved in the targeting of female journalists and to formally dissociate from the actions of these trolls.\u201d<\/p>\n Citing a report<\/a> by the DRF, the press release stated that female journalists were also targeted while covering the General Elections in February.<\/p>\n \u201cThese journalists became vulnerable to online threats of physical assaults, organised trolling campaigns and gendered insults,\u201d the NWJDR said, quoting the report.<\/p>\n Furthermore, the press release cited a study conducted by the International Centre for Journalists (ICFJ) which found that Facebook and X were named as the least safe platforms by female journalists.<\/p>\n \u201cThe research further revealed that nearly 73 per cent of women journalists experience online violence,\u201d the press release read.<\/p>\n \u201cThe continuation of such targeted campaigns not only places individual journalists\u2019 lives at risk but also shrinks space for freedom of expression and press freedom as a whole.<\/p>\n \u201cThese targeted disinformation and harassment campaigns cannot become the norm. Every time female journalists face gendered harassment, NWJDR will continue to raise its voice and assist survivors in finding avenues to justice,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n The NWJDR mentioned that Shirazi was involved in a two-year-long case in the Islamabad High Court against television channel ARY News<\/em> and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) in 2021.<\/p>\n Though she won the case, NWJDR stated that the case \u201cinvolved a fabricated news story undermining her [Shirazi\u2019s] journalistic integrity\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI am extremely emotional and yet this decision has restored my faith in the justice system,\u201d she said in a statement after the verdict<\/a> was issued in 2023. \u201cThis is a landmark decision not only for me but for all journalists who faced intimidation and harassment online and on mainstream media.\u201d<\/p>\n In 2021, Shirazi was also targeted by the then-PTI government in a \u201cgovernment-backed troll campaign\u201d, according to a statement<\/a> from the CWJ.<\/p>\n
\n(CWJ), she wrote, \u201cWomen are always a soft target and have long been subjected to harassment, but we refuse to be silenced.<\/p>\n\u2018Gendered disinformation campaign\u2019<\/h2>\n
Prior targeted campaigns<\/h2>\n