Rights watchdog records 150 cases of attacks against media

May 1, 2018

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ISLAMABAD: An award-winning Pakistan-based media rights watchdog Freedom Network (FN) has recorded over 150 cases of attacks and violations against media and its practitioners, including journalists, in Pakistan in the last one year, signifying a worryingly escalating climate of intimidation and harassment that is adversely affecting the freedom of expression and access to information.

Freedom Network (FN) released its Press Freedom Barometer 2018 monitored from May 1, 2017 to April 1, 2018 to mark May 3 International Press Freedom Day. Based on actual events, FN noted that at least 157 cases of attacks and violations were documented across all four provinces, Islamabad and tribal areas.

“That’s an average of about 15 cases of violations a month – one every second day. The violations included killing of journalists, abductions, kidnappings, physical attacks and injuries, arrests, threats and specific cases of harassment,” the report said.

The year saw at least five working journalists killed for their work:

ARY News TV correspondent for Kasur Abdul Razzaq.

K-2 Times Bureau Chief Bakshish Elahi in Haripur.

Sach TV reporter and Mashriq TV stringer Haroon Khan in Swabi.

Qaumi Pukaar Sub-editor Anjum Muneer Raja in Rawalpindi.

Nawa-e-Waqt correspondent Zeeshan Ashraf in Sambrial.

**TV journalists remained the most victimised with 85 recorded cases.**

Shockingly enough, the FN report added that 35 per cent of the (55 out of 157) cases were recorded in Islamabad, making it the most dangerous place for journalists in the country.

The report states that Punjab is the second most dangerous location for journalists with 17% of the cases (26) followed closely by Sindh with 16% (25 cases), Balochistan with 14% (22 cases) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 10% (16 cases).

**The Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) documented the least number of overall violations at 8% of the total with 13 out of 157 cases.**

“These increased incidents of attacks on the media in Pakistan are a major cause of concern, after major improvement in law and order situation,” said Freedom Network’s Executive Director Iqbal Khattak.

The FN report also pinpoints the state and its agencies as the most serious threats, targeting media in 39 per cent of the incidents, as compared to other actors such as militant groups, political parties, religious groups and criminals.

“Return of relative peace and reduction in overall violence could have meant more freedom for journalists to freely do their jobs, but ironically this has not been the case. This is also alarming since the country has a dismal record of persecuting media predators.”

**There were 20 cases of attacks on media houses.**

“May 3 this year also comes at a time when the country is poised to undertake one of the biggest democratic exercise of conducting general elections in the coming months. We appeal to all stakeholders to respect the media and facilitate it in achieving democratic goals,” Khattak added.

A detailed copy of the report can be found here: FN-Chronicles-of-Shame-MSWord-Version.docx