No journalist wants to become a part of the news. Still, shockingly, 33 journalists have become sorry news items in Pakistan in the last six years while doing their jobs, according to a report by the Freedom Network, released on the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on November 2. The number is a grim reminder that the security and safety of journalists is a critical issue, and the high number of causalities suggests that crimes against them often go unpunished. According to the Pakistan Press Foundation, since 2002, 48 journalists have been killed in targetted attacks and 24 for their work till 2019. Another 171 suffered serious assaults and 77 minor attacks. Also, 18 got arrested, 26 detained and 36 booked in different cases. Their cases linger on and only five have been concluded so far, including the case of American journalist Daniel Pearl who was kidnapped and killed in Pakistan. Poor prosecution gives a lot of room to killers. Most cases remain buried in files and even the mainstream media does not raise alarms unless a celebrity journalist is the fatality. In 2017, a reporter with a local English daily, often known for making headlines with investigative stories, was attacked by some armed motorcyclists in Islamabad. He survived the attack but the incident exposed the brazenness of the attackers and ineffectiveness of the multi billion Safe City Project.
Every single attack on journalists shrinks space for press freedom. The media is often hit with stories of involuntary disappearances of journalists and social media activists. Little headway has been made to address such issues. What has happened to the case of female journalist Zeenat Shahzadi, who disappeared for two years, and was rescued from the militants in the porous Pak-Afghan border area? She was later murdered.
Journalists in parts of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa often face restrictions from law-enforcement agencies. It is a matter of great concern that Pakistan stood 142 out of 180 countries in the World Press Index of 2019, released by the Reporters Without Borders. Whenever a journalist is attacked, opinions and rumors fly high about the culprits. Often fingers are pointed at militant outfits, criminal gangs, political groups as well as government agencies. A free press is essential for a healthy, vibrant society and strong democracy. A press working under threats would never come up with the true picture of society. *