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CWA # 1327, 24 May 2024
Pakistan Reader
State of Media in Pakistan (PR Review-III) | Three Takeaways on Safety for Journalists in Pakistan

  Kavithasri M

On 3 May 2024, the Freedom Network published its annual Pakistan Freedom of Expression and Media Report 2024, headlined “Erosion of free speech: silencing of citizens, political parties, and the media.” This report provided an “annual trend analysis of the state of freedom of expression and media rights and freedoms in Pakistan.” The survey also referred to Pakistan as “one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists.”
 
Why is it a dangerous country for journalists? 
 
1. Government restrictions
Journalism in Pakistan is a challenging and dangerous job, with journalists facing numerous obstacles in their pursuit of truth and reporting on current events. Government restrictions on information access, censorship by media organizations, and threats of violence against journalists contribute to the difficulty of accessing information. Journalists often face threats of violence from government authorities and limited access to documents and other sources of information. Government authorities often withhold crucial data, obstructing journalists' ability to report objectively and obstructing the public's right to be informed. Officials also pressure journalists to withhold or alter information to fit certain narratives, impeding their ability to deliver unbiased reporting. Media organizations often self-censor their content to maintain good relations with the government and avoid backlash, burying critical stories and preventing the public from making informed decisions. The fear of retribution and the desire to protect financial interests often influence editorial decisions, undermining the integrity of journalism in Pakistan. Journalists in Pakistan have to follow two norms: they must report on and engage with the Pakistani military, but at the same time, the state inevitably controls the message.
 
2. Death threats to journalists
There are three to four murders each year that are often linked to cases of corruption or illegal trafficking and that go completely unpunished. The journalists received threats from different quarters, like terror networks, pressure groups, state-controlled agencies, influential people, and even the leaders of mainstream political parties. If a journalist writes something that appears to be critical of the military or the administration, they will be detained. Over the past few years, reporters from Pakistan have been detained, harassed, threatened, and warned about doing their jobs by functionaries of the state as well as militant groups. On 3 November 2015, Dawn reported that 12 journalists were killed, including the senior Urdu-language journalist Zaman Mehsud, who was shot dead in an attack for which the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility.
 
Pakistan recorded a distressing tally of at least 140 cases involving threats and assaults against journalists, media professionals, and media entities by terror networks, pressure groups, influential people, and even the leaders of mainstream political parties as documented in Freedom Network's annual Pakistan Press Freedom Report. This translates to an average of approximately 13 incidents per month, or at least one violation every three days, a significant escalation from the previous frequency of one every five days during 2021–22. Startlingly, the instances of press freedom breaches surged to 140 in 2022–23 from 86 in the preceding year, indicating a steep yearly uptick of about 63 per cent. Journalists are also being killed as a result of poor journalism. People without sufficient media experience or training are occasionally drawn into dangerous situations. This is one of the primary reasons for the unjust deaths of journalists.
 
3. The influence of the army
Pakistan’s militant groups and its intelligence agencies are often blamed for inflicting violence on journalists. In the 1980s, Pakistan's media landscape was oppressive, but under Pervez Musharraf's liberalization in 2002, 89 private television channels were launched and 26 foreign channels broadcast rights. The Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Ordinance 2002 was introduced to control private media channels but was never fully followed. Over time, restrictions were imposed, such as limiting foreign channels to broadcast less than 10% foreign content. The government's Frequency Allocation Board had state representation, particularly military intelligence agencies. The media's fear of the army led to incidents like the killing of Saleem Shahzad and the attack on Hamid Mir. The military's image management exercise enforced red lines that the media is not supposed to cross, and media groups owned by big businesses were mindful of sensitivities. Baluchistan's media coverage has been severely limited, with little reporting on the insurgency or ethnic politics driving the war and Pakistan's media has become increasingly reliant on the army's line of command, resulting in a shift in the way news is reported. This shift has been exacerbated by the attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar, which killed nearly 150 students and staff on 16 December 2014. The army's popularity has also led to an aggressive sense of jingoism in society, politics, and the press. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority had issued a revised code of conduct that bars television channels from real-time reporting of security operations, limiting their freedom. Even though the killing rate of journalists was lower, the profession remains deadly, particularly in conflict zones and tribal areas where conflicting groups force journalists to report their versions.

Journalists in Pakistan are often ignored in mainstream society, with their attention based on their publication status and publisher influence. On 23 October 2022, Pakistani investigative journalist Arshad Sharif was killed in Nairobi, Kenya. During his final months, Sharif received death threats and left Pakistan. Journalists with a critical approach in Pakistan often have no option but to leave, and it is often assumed that those who choose exile are in a haven. Yet circumstances occasionally place them in vulnerable situations. Sharif's killing in Kenya, according to the Pakistani government, was the culmination of a plot hatched within Pakistan - a terrifying reminder of the inherent dangers of critical Pakistani journalism. This haunting incident serves as a stark reminder of the inherent perils tied to critical Pakistani journalism, leaving no room for escape.

About the author: Kavithasri M is a postgraduate student in Pondicherry University.

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