Mazhar Abbas
Encyclopedia
Mazhar Abbas is a Pakistani journalist. He is deputy director of ARY News Television, the second 24-hour after geo, bilingual news channel in Pakistan, and the secretary general of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists
. He is also brother of DG ISPR Major General Ather Abbas.
Abbas, who has worked as a journalist for nearly thirty years, has received multiple threats as a result of his work. He was on the hit list of the Mohajir Rabita Council, a political group in the southern Sindh
province allied with the MQM. After protesting the closing of three independent TV channels for their reporting on demonstrations against President Musharraf, Abbas was charged by police in early 2007. In May 2007, he and two other journalists found white envelopes containing bullets placed on their cars.
Working as an Agence France Presse correspondent, Abbas covered the 2002 kidnapping and murder of Daniel Pearl
, South Asia Bureau Chief for the Wall Street Journal.
In 2007, he won an International Press Freedom Award
from the Committee to Protect Journalists
. The award is given for journalists who show courage in defending press freedom in the face of attacks, threats or imprisonment. He also won the 2009 Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism.
Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists often referred to as The PFUJ is the first journalistic association of South Asia, representing journalists of an entire country; Pakistan...
. He is also brother of DG ISPR Major General Ather Abbas.
Abbas, who has worked as a journalist for nearly thirty years, has received multiple threats as a result of his work. He was on the hit list of the Mohajir Rabita Council, a political group in the southern Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
province allied with the MQM. After protesting the closing of three independent TV channels for their reporting on demonstrations against President Musharraf, Abbas was charged by police in early 2007. In May 2007, he and two other journalists found white envelopes containing bullets placed on their cars.
Working as an Agence France Presse correspondent, Abbas covered the 2002 kidnapping and murder of Daniel Pearl
Daniel Pearl
Daniel Pearl was an American journalist who was kidnapped and killed by Al-Qaeda.At the time of his kidnapping, Pearl served as the South Asia Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal, and was based in Mumbai, India. He went to Pakistan as part of an investigation into the alleged links between...
, South Asia Bureau Chief for the Wall Street Journal.
In 2007, he won an International Press Freedom Award
CPJ International Press Freedom Awards
The CPJ International Press Freedom Awards honour journalists around the world who show courage in defending press freedom in the face of attacks, threats or imprisonment. Created in 1991, the awards are administered by the Committee to Protect Journalists....
from the Committee to Protect Journalists
Committee to Protect Journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent nonprofit organisation based in New York City that promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journalists.-History:A group of U.S...
. The award is given for journalists who show courage in defending press freedom in the face of attacks, threats or imprisonment. He also won the 2009 Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism.