Tragic Loss: Senior Journalist Shot Dead in Muzaffargarh
Shazia Mehboob
Muzaffargarh: A senior journalist was shot dead under unexplained circumstances in Muzaffargarh on Wednesday morning.
The deceased journalist, identified as Mehar Ishfaq Siyal, was associated with the Urdu Daily newspaper “Daily Khabrain”.
According to local sources, journalist Ishfaq was on his way from home to the office when masked motorcyclists intercepted him and opened fire indiscriminately, critically injuring him.
He was rushed to DHQ Hospital Muzaffargarh in critical condition, where, despite efforts, he succumbed to his injuries.
Local sources reported that Ishfaq was intercepted by armed assailants near Thermal Bypass while he was en route to his office.
Police have stated that the search for the assailants is ongoing, with investigations into the matter currently underway.
Upon receiving news of the journalist’s murder, a significant number of journalists also arrived at the hospital.
The post-mortem examination of Ishfaq is underway. As of now, the motive behind his murder remains unclear.
It’s worth noting that in 2021, Pakistan was ranked 157th out of 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index.
Journalist Safety Challenges
According to the Freedom Network report titled “One Step Forward, Two Steps Back – Pakistan Legislates on Safety of Journalists, But Still Fails to Protect Them,” a troubling trend has emerged.
From August 2021 to August 2023, 37.5 percent of the reported violations in Pakistan, totaling 93 cases out of 248, occurred within Islamabad alone.
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Sindh emerged as the second most affected region in Pakistan, with 22.5 percent of the crimes recorded against media persons, totaling 56 cases.
The report highlights the irony that many of these attacks against journalists occurred despite the implementation of legislation aimed at ensuring their safety.
The report underscores the challenges and shortcomings in effectively safeguarding journalists, even with safety laws in place.
During the same period, 11 journalists lost their lives while performing their professional duties. However, by 2023, the country had shown some progress, improving its media freedom rank to 150.
This improvement was largely attributed to the enactment of two laws, which established a legal framework recognizing the need to address violence against journalists and combat impunity through legal guarantees.
Call for Journalist Protection
The federal chapter of the Pakistan Journalists Safety Coalition (PJSC) in Islamabad in a recent statement, issued in connection with International Press Freedom Day, urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government to promptly implement the “Protection for Journalists and Media Professionals Act-2021” by establishing an independent safety commission, as mandated by the legislation.
This appeal from PJSC coincides with the global observance of World Press Freedom Day, including in Pakistan, on Friday.
In a statement issued by media watchdog Freedom Network (FN), which hosts the secretariat for the chapter, PJSC emphasized the importance of fulfilling the commitment made by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to the journalist community during an international conference in Islamabad in December 2022.
At that event, Sharif pledged to “fully implement” the law and take proactive measures to ensure its enforcement.
The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) also promised in its election manifesto to establish the safety commission for journalists as part of its commitment to upholding the right to freedom of expression.
“It is time to deliver on these promises,” the statement document adds.
The federal law for journalists’ safety was passed by Parliament in December 2021 during the government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
However, it remains inactive because successive governments have failed to establish the Commission for the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals to carry out the functions of the law.
The commission is tasked with conducting inquiries into complaints of threats and attacks against journalists, recommending cases for compensation, facilitating the provision of legal aid to journalists, and ensuring the enforcement of laws related to the welfare and employment of journalists.
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