Pakistan among most dangerous countries for journalists: report

Published February 12, 2014
Security officials inspect a DSNG (digital satellite news gathering) vehicle of a private news channel following an attack by gunmen in Karachi late on Jan 17, 2014. — Photo by AFP
Security officials inspect a DSNG (digital satellite news gathering) vehicle of a private news channel following an attack by gunmen in Karachi late on Jan 17, 2014. — Photo by AFP

QUETTA: Pakistan remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists, media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said in its annual report released Wednesday, with the restive province of Balochistan a hotspot for violence.

Seven reporters were killed in the line of duty in 2013, the report said, blaming the government's “unwillingness to administer justice”.

By comparison, ten journalists were killed in Syria, eight in the Philippines and seven in Somalia.

Placing Pakistan as the 158th country out of 180 on its Press Freedom Index, the report noted: “The government appears powerless in the Taliban... and the military establishment, which is known as a 'state within a state'among many international observers.”

Four of the deaths occurred in Balochistan in southwestern Pakistan, which is wracked by Islamist violence and a long-running ethnic separatist insurgency.

Cameraman Imran Shaikh and his colleague Saifur Rehman were among those killed after rushing to cover a bomb which hit the provincial capital of Quetta in January 2013.

Both men died after being hit by a second blast that occurred ten minutes after the first.

Shaikh's widow, Shazia Bano, told AFP the family lived in constant threat, but he continued his work regardless.

“He was not scared and used to say that it is our job and we have to do it... I used to force him to quit his job as journalist but he replied, what I should do if I quit?”

While Shaikh and Rehman were caught up in militant violence, other journalists fall victim to the powerful interests linked to the government or intelligence agencies.

Riaz Baloch, another Baloch journalist who published a story about a pro-government figure linked to a car theft operation, told AFP he was kidnapped, tortured, and detained for nearly 60 days.

“They took me to mountains... where I was subjected to severe torture and I was asked ... why I published the news.”

Last year Pakistan was placed 159 out of 179 countries in the index, with nine journalists killed.

Opinion

Editorial

Military option
Updated 21 Nov, 2024

Military option

While restoring peace is essential, addressing Balochistan’s socioeconomic deprivation is equally important.
HIV/AIDS disaster
21 Nov, 2024

HIV/AIDS disaster

A TORTUROUS sense of déjà vu is attached to the latest health fiasco at Multan’s Nishtar Hospital. The largest...
Dubious pardon
21 Nov, 2024

Dubious pardon

IT is disturbing how a crime as grave as custodial death has culminated in an out-of-court ‘settlement’. The...
Islamabad protest
Updated 20 Nov, 2024

Islamabad protest

As Nov 24 draws nearer, both the PTI and the Islamabad administration must remain wary and keep within the limits of reason and the law.
PIA uncertainty
20 Nov, 2024

PIA uncertainty

THE failed attempt to privatise the national flag carrier late last month has led to a fierce debate around the...
T20 disappointment
20 Nov, 2024

T20 disappointment

AFTER experiencing the historic high of the One-day International series triumph against Australia, Pakistan came...