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Mohammed Azam, unpaid TV channel worker commits suicide in Lahore
Labour Party Pakistan - December 3, 2008
Farooq Tariq – A journalist, Mohamed Azam working for a private news channel “Channel” owned by Zia Shahid of Khabrain group committed suicide on 2 December in Lahore. He was not paid his wages for five months.
On 2 December, he went to the office of the Khabrain to demand his wages. Azam pleaded his bosses that he must be paid his wages as there is no food at home. He was badly tread by Imtinan Shahid, son of Zia Shahid and was asked to leave office without payment. Imtinan even made very bad comments about Azam 8 sisters. Imtinan told Azam that you have 8 sisters, ask them to work. He meant that the sisters should go for prostitutions.
This made Azam very sad. As he arrived, his mother asked if he was paid, he told her that the boss has not paid him. The mother reminded him about Eid which is coming and asked him to do something for the wages. He went to his room, closed the door and hanged himself with an electric wire at 2 pm on 2 December.
Azam had 8 sisters, five of them married and three to marry yet. He has a brother of 9 year. Azam was the only bread winner of the family as his father had left them long ago.
Today on 3 December, the print media has printed this news without naming the boss that is Zia Shahid of Khabrain and without naming the private TV channel (Channel 5) and without printing the cause for his suicide, that was nonpayment of five months wages. The media mentioned only that Azam committed suicide because he was facing financial difficulties. This attitude of the media exposes their real anti worker attitude and inhuman and against the ethics of real journalism.
Punjab Union of Journalist is organizing a protest demonstration today on 3 December at Shimla Pehari Lahore.
Labour Party Pakistan is taking part in the protest campaign. We are demanding a legal proceeding against the bosses. The unpaid wages must be paid immediately be paid to the family. We demand the Pakistan government to take a serious notice of this situation and pressure all the private print and electronic media to pay the wages of all those who have not be paid for months. We ask the government to immediately implement the seventh wage award. Pakistan government must announce an immediate compensation of a million Rupees for the family of Azam. Government must cancel the licenses of Channel 5 and all those who are not paying the wages in time for the workers.
Protest and send a fax to the boss
Please sent protests to Khabrain
fax number 042 6314658, 6372500,
Channel 5, fax number 042
6372102
Farooq Tariq
Spokesperson Labour Party
Pakistan
40-Abbot Road Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: 92 42 6315162 Fax:
92 42 6271149 Mobile: 92 300 8411945
labour_party@yahoo.com,
www.laborpakistan.org, www.jeddojuhd.com
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