Pakistan saw a surge of over 60 percent in attacks against journalists, media professionals, and media organizations in the past year, according to the annual Pakistan Press Freedom Report.
The report, released ahead of World Press Freedom Day on May 3, revealed that at least 140 cases of threats and attacks were reported in Pakistan over the past year, indicating an annual increase of over 60%.
The report noted that Islamabad was the riskiest place to practice journalism in Pakistan, with 56, or 40%, of violations taking place in the city. Punjab was the second worst, with 35 (25%) cases of violations, followed by 32 (23%) cases in Sindh.
It also documented the killings of at least five journalists in Pakistan during the period under review. Iqbal Khattak, the executive director of Freedom Network, said that the escalation in violence against journalists was disturbing and demanded urgent attention.
Khattak pointed out that despite Pakistan becoming the first country in Asia to legislate on the safety of journalists in 2021, the federal and Sindh journalists’ safety laws have not helped a single journalist, resulting in increasing violence against them. He urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to urgently fulfill his promise to notify the safety commission required under the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act, 2021, so the law passed with bipartisan support by parliament can start helping journalists.
The report highlighted that attacks on independent journalism block access to essential information, which is especially damaging during ongoing political and economic crises when the public needs reliable news to understand the issues and respond to them. The absence of the commission continues to promote impunity of crimes against journalists, he added.
In addition, Khattak urged Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to equip the notified provincial safety commission under the Sindh Protection of Journalists and Other Media Practitioners Act 2021 with resources so that it could help journalists and empower them to combat the impunity of crimes against them in the province.
While report’s findings serve as a wake-up call to authorities to take urgent action to protect journalists and media professionals in Pakistan, uphold press freedom, and ensure that those responsible for violence against journalists are held accountable.
