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Freedom of expression
dangerous country for
Media-persons as they saw themselves.
journalists in the whole of Asia
and one of the most dangerous
in the world. The killings were
a continuation of a clear trend
for years. The journalists killed
in Pakistan in 2012 included
Saqib Khan, Rehmatullah Abid,
Mushtaq Khan, Abdul Haq
Baloch, Abdul Qadir Hajizai,
Razzaq Gul, Mukarram Khan
Atif, Muhammad Amir, Tariq
Kamal, Syed Tariq Hussain,
Aslam Raja, Jamshed Kharal,
Irfan Malik and Murtaza Razvi.
The year under review
proved to be quite unstable as
far as exercise of this
fundamental freedom in Pakistan was concerned, as journalists and other
citizens were targetted for expressing their views. Sections of the national
news media were accused of fraud and corruption and renowned TV anchors
were accused of conducting planted interviews and receiving money in order
to align the media in favour of one side or the other.
The quality of the content on the media was often criticised for a lack of
objectivity and impartiality. The media was repeatedly criticised by civil society
and many media persons themselves for their portrayal of women. On more
than one occasion, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA)
warned certain media houses against airing indecent content. At times that
was interpreted as an attempt by the regulatory authority to unduly control the
choice of content by the media.
Safety of journalists
Over the years Pakistan has gained notoriety for being one of the most
dangerous countries in the world for journalists. In the year under review, the
hazards associated with being a journalist continued. According to Press
Freedom Index, Pakistan was one of the deadliest countries for journalists for
the second year running, with a ranking of 151 out of 179 countries.
Journalists were targetted in broad daylight and faced repeated threats.
Threats made against highly acclaimed journalists indicated a sense of impunity
among the perpetrators. The threats that the journalists in Balochistan and
FATA faced were the most daunting anywhere in Pakistan. In terms of dangers
to journalists, Khuzdar district was to Balochistan what Balochistan was to
Pakistan.
In September, Abdul Haq Baloch, secretary general of Khuzdar Press Club,