Pakistan Press Foundation’s (PPF) in its annual report said today that the year 2024 drew to an end with media safety under attack in Pakistan and the space for free expression tightly controlled both offline and online.
According to the PPF report, during the year, at least two journalists’ murders to be in connection to their work were of Bachal Ghunio and Khalil Jibran. Both of whom were killed in targeted attacks while two cases of murders of journalists, Nasrullah Gadani and Kamran Dawar, remain under investigation by PPF.
The year was a mix of political protests, internet shutdowns, and policies and legislation, both proposed and passed, that would increase policing of free expression particularly online. In 2024, journalists continued to come under attack with unfortunate patterns of violence against the media being repeated including targeted killings of journalists for their work, abductions, arrests and detentions, physical violence, threats both online and offline, and legal action.
The report also mentions 72 instances of assault, four instances of abduction, 12 instances of attacks on property, five instances of arrests, 12 instances of detentions, 14 instances of case registration, eight instances of FIA action, including call-up notices, case registration, involving at least 202 persons, two instances of legal action, two instances of placement on the Exit Control List (ECL), 14 instances of online harassment, five instances of threats, 31 instances of censorship and restrictive regulatory directives, 19 instances of internet, mobile connectivity, and social media platform disruptions, including the ban on X.
The year began with a caretaker government at the helm ahead of a delayed general election finally held in February, the results of which were contested by opposition parties. Multiple waves of protests, predominantly by the opposition party, the Pakistan Tehreek i Insaf (PTI), were held throughout the year, during which journalists became the target of violence both by law enforcement, and political party workers and supporters even when they indicated they were from the media.
Despite this, neither have political parties made any effort to develop policies
of engaging with the media during such events, nor have authorities taken practical steps to ensure that journalists are not targeted in the crossfire during protests. Additionally, media professionals have faced threats offline as well as harassment online.
While the media was in some instances directly targeted, the environment for free expression they worked in was also significantly tightened. At the same time, mixed messages and little clarity were provided by authorities taking action, and a lack of meaningful consultations with stakeholders leaving citizens in the dark.
In an environment of direct attacks against the media and a tightly restricted landscape for free expression as well as disrupted access to information online, media professionals in Pakistan have to not only worry about their physical safety as attacks against them continue but also face challenges in collecting and disseminating news created through regulations and legislations, and repeated disruptions to internet access.
Between January and December 2024, the Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) has documented at least 162 confirmed attacks on journalists and media professionals in connection to the work and attempts of censorship to regulate and restrict free expression either through punitive measures or regulation:
The report also recorded four restrictive directives by PEMRA, eight other directives, orders, or actions that were tantamount to censorship, and remarks by the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa targeting journalists. In addition, there were legislative and policy-level measures that impacted media safety and free expression.
These include measures taken, proposed, and in process, including: The formation and repealing of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA); passing of the Punjab Defamation Act, 2024; proposed PECA Amendment Bill 2024 that proposes forming the Digital Rights Protection Authority; plans for implementation of a national firewall; and registration and restrictions on Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) Internet Disruptions.
The year has been marred with internet disruptions and issues with connectivity (mobile and internet). This began ahead of elections through documented internet disruptions that continued into election day. At the end of the year, at least 19 instances of disruption to internet access, social media platforms, and mobile services have been documented. While the importance of digital spaces as mediums of expression should be increasing, the state has clamped down and pushed for regulation and control of online spaces.
In a significant move, X, formerly Twitter, was first restricted on election day and then following the election results on February 17. It remains inaccessible in Pakistan without a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to date. While the courts have since been informed that X was blocked due to national security, initially, there was no clarity on why X had been closed with no authority taking responsibility, including the government or the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA). It is ironic that despite a 10-month ban on X, government leaders including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif continue to post on X.