Pakistan Press Foundation Calls for Safe Media Environment in 2024 Elections

The Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) has reported a concerning trend of media-related attacks in Pakistan, with at least 157 incidents documented this year. These attacks encompass 16 arrests, five detentions, and 44 cases of assault, revealing the perilous environment in which journalists and media professionals operate in the country. As Pakistan approaches general elections scheduled for January 2024, the need for a secure, unrestricted, and safe atmosphere for the media is paramount to ensuring that journalists can cover the elections and pre-election events without fear of violence, threats, state-imposed restrictions, or infringements on free speech.

During an election year, the media plays a pivotal role in providing accurate, balanced, and timely coverage of political developments and campaigns. The PPF emphasizes the necessity of a conducive and safe environment for journalists to fulfill their essential role.

The lead-up to general elections, characterized by political uncertainty and transition, raises concerns about violence, intimidation, and the imposition of restrictions on media. The Election Commission of Pakistan has issued codes of conduct for both political parties and the national media, emphasizing the need to restrain workers from exerting undue pressure on media outlets and ensuring the protection of media professionals’ freedom of expression.

Pakistan ranks eleventh worst in the Committee to Protect Journalists’ 2023 Global Impunity Index-Pakistan Press Foundation

However, the media in Pakistan has continued to grapple with physical violence, threats, and restrictions, creating barriers to their ability to report on critical developments freely. Importantly, those who commit violence against the media enjoy a disturbing level of impunity. Pakistan ranks eleventh worst in the Committee to Protect Journalists’ 2023 Global Impunity Index, reflecting the extensive culture of impunity surrounding crimes against journalists.

Between January and September 2023, the PPF documented a wide range of attacks on the media, including arrests, detentions, assaults, damage to property, raids, registration of cases against media professionals, legal actions, censorship, harassment, threats, kidnappings, and unconfirmed cases. Notably, the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in May 2023 triggered a wave of violence, including attacks on media outlets and personnel, case registrations, abductions, and other alarming incidents across the country.

Internet shutdowns, blocking of social media, and restrictions on online activities have also posed challenges to reporting and information dissemination. The closure of mobile internet services during protests following Imran Khan’s arrest had a notable impact on point-of-sale transactions, reflecting the economic consequences of such measures.

In June 2023, then-Defense Minister Khawaja Asif called for the regulation of social media in Pakistan, citing regulatory frameworks in other parts of the world. The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) disclosed that it had blocked over 10,000 websites for various reasons, including anti-judiciary and anti-state content, blasphemy, defamatory content, and more.

Furthermore, legislative actions, such as the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Amendment Bill, have raised concerns, particularly regarding the labeling of critical news as disinformation, potentially leading to censorship. While addressing disinformation is essential, the potential misuse of these regulations may curtail journalistic freedom.

The role of the media as a watchdog in ensuring free and fair elections is indispensable to the democratic process. To facilitate comprehensive election coverage while safeguarding the well-being of journalists and media practitioners, the PPF recommends several measures. These include the establishment of a federal-level Commission for the Protection of Journalists and Other Media Professionals, ensuring the digital safety of media workers, revising election commission codes of conduct to protect journalists from cyber harassment, and formulating specific codes of conduct for political parties to engage with the media.

The PPF’s recommendations aim to create an environment that empowers the media to fulfill its democratic role and ensure that journalists can carry out their work without fear of violence, threats, or restrictions. In a democracy, a free and independent media is indispensable, and it is vital to safeguard the rights and safety of journalists in the pursuit of their crucial work.

This statement was originally published on pakistanpressfoundation.org