Saadia Sehar Haidari
Saadia Sehar Haidari Journalist (Born in Lahore,She was born in Lahore city of Pakistan.She is first female Photo and video journalist of Pakistan.Her Grandfather Mohammad Bakhsh Bhatti was very famous photographer in sub-continental.She was expert in her field.
Her husband Azizullah Haidari, a correspondent and photographer for the Reuters news agency, was shot dead by Talibans on November 19, 2001 in Afghanistan along with his three colleagues, Harry Burton, an Australian cameraman for Reuters; Julio Fuentes, a Spanish correspondent for the Madrid-based newspaper El Mundo; and Maria Grazia Cutuli, an Italian correspondent for the Milan-based daily Corriere della Serra.
Saadia Sehar was teacher in a school in Pakistan and good journalist, but after the killing of her husband in Afghanistan, she joined the full-time journalism and got her master’s degree in Mass Communication. She worked with different national and International organizations such as Reuters,contributed her stories to various local newspapers on women issues, extremism and terrorism. She also worked for Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) as staff writer and photo journalist and also acted as host and producer for current affairs programs at Vectone TV. Now she is affiliated with GEO TV channel in Islamabad, as reporter and cameraperson and working as stinger for International news agencies.
Saadia was selected for one week ” International Training of Electronic Journalism” organized by UN Alliance, ICFJ & Research Center for Human Resources in Nepal. She also benefited with one week ICFJ training on “Freedom of Expression in the Digital Age” held in Alexandria, Egypt.
She was beaten and arrested by police on September 29, 2007 in Islamabad while covering a demonstration against former military dictator Pervez Musharraf, at least one dozen other journalists also received injuries. She was again arrested on November 3, 2007 in Islamabad while protesting against the ban on GEO channel’s transmissions and detained for one night at G-6, Markaz Women Police Station in federal capital.
The recognition of Saadia Sehar for the Award is a symbol of struggle for the right of information and a reminder to international community about the tragic conditions Pakistan has been suffering since the war on terror after 9/11 attacks.
Pakistan has become the deadliest place for journalists now, where thirteen journalists have been killed during current year, according to RMNP monitoring.
Saadia Sehar set a new precedent for women in Pakistan media by adopting her husband‘s profession after his brutal murder. There is urgent 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% rural populace of the country.The aim of this award is to recognize the courage and commitment of journalists and media organizations. Another aspect of the award is to divert national and international attention towards the state of media freedom in Pakistan. We hope, in future the award will promote a favorable culture for the freedom of expression.
She is activist and working for journalists rights and their safety .She and her daughter along her son started this mission.. in 2001 after killing her Husband.She introduced the "International journalist Martyred Day" on "November.19" across the world,Journalists observed this Day across the world to Pay tribute martyred journalists and their families.