Pakistan has long been haunted by the dangers posed to those who dare speak the truth as the perpetrators bask in the shameful impunity. It is for this purpose alone that Islamabad High Court’s much-needed castigation of the state over failure to identify those who targetted journalists like Absar Alam, Matiullah Jan and Asad Ali Toor in a grotesque string of “criminal acts” should be appreciated as the eventual realisation of putting an end to the suppression of free speech. Even though all citizens of Pakistan are guaranteed protection against any form of oppression by the constitution, the security and welfare of those who pay a very dear price for playing a cornerstone of our precious democracy need to be safeguarded by all branches. In the past, journalists have drawn the ire of everyone from feudal landlords to sectarian groups to separatist outfits, but the situation becomes all the more distressing when members of a government strengthen their resolve to make a spectacle of their power no matter what the cost may be. According to the Pakistan Press Freedom Report 2022, an overwhelming total of 2,176 journalists lost their lives in the last two decades; out of which, 91 occurred this year alone. A bullet in the head, or, at least, the threat to do so, has become the latest form of censorship wherein killing journalists, attacking TV stations and slashing crews is routinely used to silence countless others. For every such casualty, press censorship appears to take an even worse form as intimidation spreads its tentacles far and wide. For years, these crimes have been brushed under the rug of obscurity while the government continues to act as if our media is the freer of the lot. All this needs to be changed with the will to usher in a new era of accountability. The least they can do is cough up answers to whoever was behind the malicious acts. *