ISLAMABAD – Pakistan saw a surge of over 60 percent in attacks against journalists, and media workers in the last year, reveals the Pakistan Press Freedom report.
The report released two days ahead of World Press Freedom Day suggests that at least 140 cases of threats and attacks were reported in Pakistan over the past year, showing a surge of over 60pc between May 2022 and March 2023.
The Pakistan Press Freedom report also revealed that the country’s federal capital Islamabad remained the riskiest place to practice journalism in Pakistan, with almost 40 percent of violent attacks taking place in the city. The country’s most populous region Punjab remained second in the infamous list with 25% of cases of violations, which is followed by Sindh with 23% of cases.
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.
It further highlighted that attacks on journalists blocked access to information, which is damaging during political and economic crises when the masses need facts from reliable source.
Khattak called the escalation in violence against journalists disturbing and demands urgent attention. He said, “It is ironic that Pakistan in 2021 became the first country in Asia to legislate on the safety of journalists but 1.5 years later the federal and Sindh journalists’ safety laws have not helped a single journalist resulting in the increasing the violence against them.”
Meanwhile, the Freedom Network called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to fulfill his promise made at an international conference to notify the safety commission required under the federal Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act 2021.
