Riskier, Violent Media Environment Continue To Plague Pakistan

Wraa Noor

May 3rd, the World Press Freedom Day, marks the substantial progress towards enabling a free press and freedom of expression around the world.

However, media freedom, access to information, freedom of expression and safety of journalists remain a constant worry for the media family in Pakistan. This has not only impacted on the freedom of media but also on the realisation of other human rights in the country.

Especially with the increased use of online/digital platforms, a substantial rise in disinformation/ misinformation and coordinated campaigns of hate speech have been greatly noticeable.

Press and media freedom and independence also holds a significant position in strengthening democratic processes in a country. Marred with various issues ranging from journalists’ safety to self-censorship to intensification of abusive and hateful content online, it is also pertinent to devise a road map to address such challenges.

Arshad Sharif, a senior journalist and anchor-person for ARY News, was fatally shot by law enforcement on October 24, 2022 in Kenya as he was supposedly hiding out after getting death threats for his critical reporting. Mr Sharif was fatally shot by police as he was travelling to Nairobi, Kenya, according to the Kenyan police reports.

Officers from the paramilitary division of the Kenya Police Service opened fire on the vehicle after Sharif and his brother allegedly drove over a security roadblock. The journalist community has demanded the authorities to conduct a transparent and comprehensive investigation to unravel the motive of the shootout. It remains to be seen if this time Arshad Sharif’s killing will become an exception to the rule and its perpetrators will be brought to justice.

Senior journalist Absar Alam was shot near his residence in Islamabad in April 2021. The perpetrators have not been brought to justice so far. The charges have yet to be filed against the culprits involved in the attack. One of the accused has absconded, and the remaining accused are still to be indicted by the Supreme Court.

Absar said, “We have a slow and defective judicial system and a flawed and weak prosecution process. Neither the police nor the Ministry of Interior have issued a red warrant against the masterminds of the attack residing in Germany and France. Individuals who ordered the attack and sent money should be brought back to Pakistan via Interpol.”

“We have solid evidence against them, but no legal action has been taken by the government to bring them to trial for prosecution,” Alam added.

Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Former Chairman Alam mentioned that the approach of investigators is very flawed and slow-paced in Pakistan. The scientific approach to investigations is not being followed through.

The Supreme Court is silent on all the cases related to the attacks on the journalistic community, he added.

Absar further stated that for independent journalism, the environment in Pakistan has always been difficult, unsafe, and unsecure, and it still is.

According to Freedom Network’s annual Pakistan Press Freedom Report, as many as 140 cases of threats and attacks against journalists, media professionals, and media organisations were reported in Pakistan between May 2022 and March 2023. This is an average of around 13 cases a month, or at least one violation every three days, compared to one every five days in 2021–22.

Press Freedom Report notes that the country’s media environment has become riskier and more violent in recent months. The data shows that press freedom violations witnessed an annual increase of around 63 per cent.

“There are limitations on exercising freedom of speech in the media industry. Media houses and newspaper owners restrict your opportunity to uncover a story pertaining to corruption and abuse of power by high officials at the government level,” Journalist Absar.

“Then social media, especially YouTube, becomes a more effective tool for journalists to exercise their right to freedom of speech and survive in such an environment,” he further added.

“Attacks on independent journalism prevent people from getting access to crucial information, which is especially harmful when there are continuing political and economic crises because the public needs trustworthy news to comprehend the problems and take action,” Freedom Network Executive Director Iqbal added.