NEW YORK: Kashmiri photojournalist Masrat Zahra on Thursday received the Peter Mackler prize for courageous and ethical journalism, for her coverage of women impacted by decades of unrest in Indian-administered Kashmir.
"To work in this industry is to bring the truth," the 26-year-old journalist said during a virtual ceremony.
The Muslim-majority Himalayan region is mainly divided between India and Pakistan, and plagued by years of conflict that has left thousands dead, many of them civilians.
Zahra's work shines a light on the stories of women who would otherwise likely be forgotten in deeply patriarchal South Asia.
"My pictures offer a glimpse of the everyday struggle of the people in Kashmir," said the 12th journalist to receive the Peter Mackler prize, distributed by the Global Media Forum in partnership with Agence France Presse and Reporters Without Borders.
"It gives a voice to the ones silenced by the conflict," she continued.
For her work Zahra has faced mistrust from some Kashmiris who accuse her of working for Indian intelligence, as well as harassment from Indian authorities who accuse her of spreading disinformation.
And in June, the government for Jammu and Kashmir instituted a "New Media Policy" that rights groups say allows the censorship and persecution of journalists.
Zahra said that being a Muslim woman "amplifies" her anxiety as a journalist working in such conditions -- but her identity also drives her work.
The award was established in 2008 to recognize courageous and ethical journalism. It honors the memory of longtime AFP journalist Peter Mackler, who died of a heart attack that year.
"Masrat Zahra exhibits the very qualities that my late husband, Peter Mackler, fostered in the new generation of reporters whose path he crossed," said Catherine Antoine, president of the Global Media Forum Training Group and founder of the award.
"Masrat's complete dedication to reporting the story, no matter the risks, along with her mental fearlessness and creative approach to use any medium at her disposal to bear witness to the world made our choice easy."
Kashmiri photojournalist Masrat Zahra wins Mackler prize
https://arab.news/gmwry
Kashmiri photojournalist Masrat Zahra wins Mackler prize
- India recently instituted a 'New Media Policy' that rights groups say allows the censorship and persecution of journalists
- Zahra says being a Muslim woman 'amplifies' her anxiety as a journalist in Kashmir, though it also drives her work
Pakistan, China to sign multiple MoUs at major agriculture investment conference today
- Hundreds of Chinese and Pakistani firms to attend Islamabad event
- Conference seen as part of expanding CPEC ties into agriculture, trade
KARACHI: Islamabad and Beijing are set to sign multiple memorandums of understanding (MoUs) to boost agricultural investment and cooperation at a major conference taking place in the capital today, Monday, with hundreds of Chinese and Pakistani companies expected to participate.
The conference is being billed by Pakistan’s Ministry of National Food Security and Research as a platform for deepening bilateral agricultural ties and supporting broader economic engagement between the two countries.
“Multiple memorandums of understanding will be signed at the Pakistan–China Agricultural Conference,” the Ministry of National Food Security said in a statement. “115 Chinese and 165 Pakistani companies will participate.”
The conference reflects a growing emphasis on expanding Pakistan-China economic cooperation beyond the transport and energy foundations of the flagship China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) into agriculture, industry and technology.
Under its first phase launched in 2015, CPEC, a core component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, focused primarily on transportation infrastructure, energy generation and connectivity projects linking western China to the Arabian Sea via Pakistan. That phase included motorways, power plants and the development of the Gwadar Port in the country's southwest, aimed at helping Pakistan address chronic power shortages and enhance transport connectivity.
In recent years, both governments have formally moved toward a “CPEC 2.0” phase aimed at diversifying the corridor’s impact into areas such as special economic zones, innovation, digital cooperation and agriculture. Second-phase discussions have highlighted Pakistan’s goal of modernizing its agricultural sector, attracting Chinese technology and investment, and boosting export potential, with high-level talks taking place between planning officials and investors in Beijing.
Agri-sector cooperation has also seen practical collaboration, with joint initiatives examining technology transfer, export protocols and value-chain development, including partnerships in livestock, mechanization and horticulture.
Organizers say the Islamabad conference will bring together government policymakers, private sector investors, industry associations and multinational agribusiness firms from both nations. Discussions will center on investment opportunities, technology adoption, export expansion and building linkages with global buyers within the framework of Pakistan-China economic cooperation.
