In a message remembering the Global Day to End Exemption for Violations against Writers, Acting President Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani and State leader Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif repeated’s areas of strength for Pakistan to squeeze opportunity and opportunity of articulation.
Press freedom is crucial to Pakistan’s democratic stability and transparency, according to Acting President Gilani. He said that journalists are hurt by violence, which hurts democracy.
Gillani mentioned that Pakistan’s Constitution protects the rights to free speech, press freedom, and information access. He emphasized that the country has protections in place for journalists and media workers.
The Acting President cited the introduction of health insurance for journalists and the Journalists and Media Workers Protection Act of 2021 as significant steps toward their protection.
To increase journalist safety, he called for a comprehensive system and integrated strategy. Concerning the situation in Palestine, Gillani criticized the Israeli bombardments of conflict-affected areas, particularly Gaza, for the deaths of numerous journalists.
He urged the international community to hold Israel accountable for its actions against journalists and cited reports from the United Nations that stated that over 130 journalists had been killed in Gaza.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif emphasized in his message that without journalist protection, press freedom is untenable. He acknowledged the unwavering efforts made by journalists all over the world, including in Pakistan, to inform the public.
The Prime Minister railed against the numerous obstacles journalists face in their quest for the truth, such as threats, kidnapping, and even murder.
He pointed out that despite international conventions regarding Gaza, many journalists have been deliberately targeted to suppress the truth, and that journalists continue to put their lives in danger in conflict zones to fulfill their reporting responsibilities.
Shehbaz Sharif acknowledged the significant sacrifices journalists in Pakistan made for democracy, constitutional supremacy, and law and order.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting journalists’ rights and ensuring their safety, stressing that those responsible for crimes against journalists will be held accountable.
The message from the acting president and prime minister comes one day after the Freedom Network’s Impunity Report 2024 revealed that 2024 was one of the deadliest years for Pakistani journalists, with multiple targeted killings and a shocking 57 violations of media professionals’ rights.
At least 57 incidents, including threats, assaults, and legal harassment, were reported, according to the report, including the deaths of six journalists and one YouTuber. It brought to light the pervasive culture of impunity for these crimes, which was made worse by provincial authorities’ lack of action.
According to the report, despite the existence of laws to protect journalists, their effectiveness in combating impunity has been minimal.
The report describes 11 attempts to kill people between November 2023 and August 2024, including five fatal assaults on journalists and digital media professionals. It also notes that these violations are spread out geographically, with Sindh having 37%, Punjab having 23%, Islamabad having 21%, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa having 12%, and Balochistan having 3.5 percent.
Print journalists accounted for 35% of the violations, followed by digital media practitioners at 10%, radio journalists at 2%, and television journalists at 53%. The gender-based risks associated with the profession are brought to light by the fact that female journalists reported 9% of all incidents.
