Islamabad has topped the list of the most dangerous places for journalists in Pakistan with the city witnessing a whopping increase of 40% in cases of threats and attacks against the press last year. Across Pakistan, at least 140 cases against reporters, media experts, and news organisations were reported, according to the annual Pakistan Press Freedom Report formulated by media rights watchdog Freedom Network.
In Islamabad, 56 cases took place, as Punjab followed behind with 35 (25%) cases of violations and Sindh with 32 cases (23%). The report was published ahead of World Press Freedom Day, which is marked on May 3 every year. It revealed that Pakistan’s media environment has turned volatile in recent months, with attacks skyrocketing from 86 cases in 2021-22 to 140 between May 2022 and March 2023.
Violence against journalists ‘disturbing’
“The escalation in violence against journalists is disturbing and demands urgent attention,” said Iqbal Khattak, the executive director of Freedom Network that is responsible for monitoring violations of media freedom. “Attacks on independent journalism block access to essential information, which is especially damaging during the ongoing political and economic crises when the public needs reliable news to understand the issues and respond to them,” he added.
“It is ironic that Pakistan in 2021 became the first country in Asia to legislate on the safety of journalists, but one and a half years later, the federal and Sindh journalists’ safety laws have not helped a single journalist resulting in increasing violence against them,” Khattak continued.
He exhorted Pakistan Premier Shehbaz Sharif to focus on solving the issue and fulfill the promise he made at an international conference last year about eradicating crimes against the press. Furthermore, he urged Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to bolster the provincial safety commission and provide it with resources that could help battle the violent acts.