Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday called upon the international community and various organizations to bring Israel to justice for the massacre of journalists in Gaza. Despite international conventions, dozens of journalists in Gaza were deliberately killed to obstruct the truth, the prime minister said in his message on the occasion of International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists. He emphasized that journalists from across the world including Pakistan work day and night to keep the world informed. “Unfortunately, journalists have to endure various dangers, hardships, and difficulties in pursuit of truth,” he regretted. Besides working in peace, he said the journalists also risked their lives reporting even in conflict zones and during wars. These advocates of truth face restrictions, violence, threats, kidnappings, and even murder, he said adding “Without the protection of journalists, freedom of the press cannot be achieved”. “Our government has taken priority measures to ensure the protection and rights of journalists,” he stated. The prime minister said Pakistani journalists had made immense sacrifices for democracy, adherence to the Constitution, and the rule of law. “The Journalist and Media Workers Protection Act 2021 was passed to protect journalists and media workers.” PM Shehbaz said health insurance for journalists was also an important initiative of the federal government for their protection. “We are committed to preventing crimes against journalists, ensuring punishment for perpetrators, and safeguarding journalists in Pakistan,” the prime minister assured. He emphasized that the Constitution of Pakistan guaranteed freedom of expression, freedom of the press, and access to information, and the government of Pakistan was dedicated to ensuring these rights. Acting President Acting President Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani on Saturday urged the international community to hold Israel accountable for its crimes against journalists. Highlighting the recent bombings in Gaza, where a significant number of journalists lost their lives due to Israeli attacks, the acting president said according to the United Nations, over 130 journalists had been killed in Gaza to date. In his message in connection with the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, he said that freedom of the press was not possible without ensuring safety of the journalists. He said the journalists work in challenging conditions especially while reporting in conflict zones and during wars. The acting president said that in such dangerous environments, journalists faced various risks, including censorship, violence, threats, abduction, and even murder. “In Pakistan, steps have been taken to ensure the safety of journalists and media workers, Yousaf Raza Gilani said adding that the constitution of Pakistan gives the right of access to information, freedom of expression and freedom of the press,” he added. He emphasized that freedom of the press was essential for strengthening democracy and promoting transparency in Pakistan. Acts of violence against journalists undermine democracy, he said. In 2021, Pakistan passed the Journalists and Media Professionals Protection Act, demonstrating its commitment to safeguarding journalists, he noted. “Health insurance for journalists has also been introduced in Pakistan.” However, he acknowledged that more actions were required to protect journalists and media workers in Pakistan. He also stressed the need to adopt a comprehensive strategy and system to ensure journalists’ safety. Journalists in IIOJK Journalists are working in the most trying conditions in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), facing severe repercussions for reporting the truth and ground realities of the territory. A report released by Kashmir Media Service on the occasion of International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, today, said the BJP-led Indian government is using black laws and undemocratic tactics to strangulate media in the occupied territory. The report lamented that prominent Kashmiri journalists like lrfan Meraaj, Majid Hyderi and Sajjad Gul are currently facing detentions under draconian laws. It pointed out that the victimization of journalists in IIOJK has increased manifold since August 05, 2019, when the BJP-led Indian government repealed special constitutional status of the territory. The report said journalists in IIOJK face killings, murder attempts, arrests and threats at the hands of Indian forces’ personnel on a regular basis and a number of media persons have been killed and scores injured since 1989 in IIOJK. It said India has made independent journalism almost impossible in IIOJK after introducing the so-called media policy in 2020. Journalists are harassed, abducted, threatened and tortured just for doing their job in IIOJK, it deplored. The report asserts that the Indian government wants to hide the ground realities from the world by criminalizing journalism in occupied Jammu and Kashmir. It calls on the international community must come forward to rescue independent media in the territory and pressure New Delhi to allow media outlets to operate freely. Since assuming power in 2014, the BJP government has arrested over 20 journalists in IIOJK and India, including Aasif Sultan, Fahad Shah, Irfan Meraaj, Majid Hyderi, Sajjad Gul, Manan Dar, Qazi Shibli, Kamran Yousuf, Baltej Pannu, Santosh Yadav, Somaru Nag, Surinder Singh, Vinod Verma, Anand Teltumbde, Gautam Navlakha, Siddique Kappan, Tanveer Warsi, Ashutosh Negi, Prabir Purkayastha, Rajeev Sharma, Mohammad Jamaludin, Wasim Akram Tyagi, and Zakir Ali Tyagi.