Journalists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa face escalating threats

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 7 July 2024 |  JP Staff Reporter

The escalation of threats to journalists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has raised alarm bells regarding press freedom in the region. Recent incidents highlight the severe risks faced by media practitioners from both state and non-state actors.

Summary

ISLAMABAD—Journalists across Pakistan, especially in the militancy-riddled province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, have essentially turned out to be soft targets for intimidation, attacks, kidnapping, and killing. In areas of this province, reporters run grave risks from state and non-state actors, according to an editorial published in Business Recorder on Sunday.

Last month, Khalil Jibran, a senior journalist from Landi Kotal working for local dailies and a Pashto TV channel, was shot dead by unidentified armed men, suspected to be activists of a militant outfit. After he was killed, the only source of income for his family, a snooker club, was torched—allegedly by the same suspects. The children of Jibran, in their teenage, have called for a transparent inquiry by the federal and provincial governments and moving them to some safe place with compensation for their loss.

Recently, the non-governmental organization Freedom Network released a report, "News Tribes of Northwest—Saving Journalists in Pakistan's Tribal Districts," about the degrading situation for media practitioners in KP's tribal districts. The report highlights that there is hardly any space for journalists following the resurgence of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

In this regard, the editorial of Business Recorder comments that even though the erstwhile FATA has been merged with KP, all remains almost unchanged in terms of freedom of expression and journalists' safety. Dominating are the remnants of the colonial-era Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) mindset, wherein tribal traditions, official interference, and many undeclared bans on reporting of movements confront journalists. Journalists said they cannot take risks and pressure for information; thus, much self-censorship is observed in the tribal districts. They spoke of repeated threats from different stakeholders in the conflict, who were unhappy about their coverage.

When the report came out, Muhammad Ali Saif, advisor to the KP Chief Minister on information, announced through a press conference that a bill would soon be tabled in the provincial assembly to curb impunity of crimes against media persons. Though a welcome development, this alone is unlikely to prove much of a deterrent against the powerful elements that go after the media persons.

What has been emphasized in the editorial of Business Recorder is the necessity of a sustained campaign by media persons, rights organizations, and civil society groups to build a protective environment for journalists across the country but, more importantly, in areas where conflict rages.

Photo: AFP