Pakistan's Press Freedom Crisis: 137 Journalist Attacks in "Bleak Year" for Media

In a report released to mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, PPF said that threats included physical assaults and detentions, criminal complaints, censorship orders and internet shutdowns, despite constitutional guarantees of free expression, Pakistan's leading daily Dawn reported.

The PPF asked authorities to move "beyond lip service" and enact domestic and international commitments to protect press freedom, including effective use of existing safety laws and mechanisms. The report mentioned 35 incidents of physical assault and manhandling, while two journalists were injured while on assignment, five were detained, two abducted, and four attacks were carried out on property, including raids.

According to the report, eight were arrested, 30 FIRs were lodged, 22 of which were registered using the Pakistan Elec­tronic Crimes Act (Peca), including the newly introduced Section 26-A on "fake information" — and 23 actions initiated by the FIA and the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency.

Media professionals in Pakistan also faced intimidation, including seven threats, three threats of legal action, seven cases of harassment, which in some cases involved family members or political rhetoric, and two journalists were kept on the no-fly list.

Meanwhile, censorship and restrictions involved six suspensions of mobile or internet services, a Pemra order, a court directive which blocked 27 YouTube channels and restrictions on reporting outside Adiala Jail.

The PPF said the press in Pakistan faced a hostile climate due to political leaders' rhetoric and government actions, along with "brazen" attacks on property and bulldozing restrictive legislation. It mentioned the continued physical violence, including assaults, detentions and abductions — amid “a lack of preventive, protective and prosecutorial measures”. The report also documented risks faced by journalists while reporting about climate disasters.

Meanwhile, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has expressed concern over targeted killings of journalists, misuse of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) to register cases against media professionals, undeclared censorship, harassment by state and non-state actors, forced layoffs, and non-payment of salaries in Pakistan, local media reported.

The concern was raised when a delegation from the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) held talks with IFJ President Dominique Pradalie and Secretary General Anthony Bellanger at the Syndicat National des Journalistes (SNJ) headquarters in Paris, according to a statement. The meeting was held to address the growing crisis faced by journalists in Pakistan.

The IFJ leaders requested Pakistan’s leadership and top judge to take immediate notice of the problems faced by the journalists and warned that authorities' inaction could lead to a request to the United Nations for intervention, Dawn reported.

During the meeting, the PFUJ delegation, including Secretary General Shakeel Ahmed, Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists President Tariq Usmani, and Foreign Committee Head Waseem Shahzad Qadri, informed the IFJ leaders about the situation faced by journalists in Pakistan.

- IANS