The 'Under Attack' page documents and highlights instances of violence, threats, and intimidation against journalists, news organizations, and press clubs across Pakistan since 2012. This section aims to shed light on the challenges media professionals face, their resilience in the face of adversity, and the broader implications for press freedom in the region. Some of the images in this section are graphic.
October 10, 2020: Nabeel Jakhura, President of BOL News, and Assistant Vice President Shabi Al Hassan were abducted in Karachi. The two were kidnapped while heading home from work, and their vehicle was later found locked in Sohrab Goth with valuables retrieved.
September 20, 2020: Alveena Agha, an anchor at Metro One News TV, is facing harassment linked to her investigative story on a business group’s scam published two years ago. Agha revealed that the group that defrauded investors in the 90s before relocating to Dubai, is now targeting her.
September 19, 2020: Dilroz Khan, Chairman of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister's Complaint and Redressal Cell, allegedly threatened and abused senior journalist Ali Akbar of DawnNews in Peshawar. Akbar, who reported on faulty BRT buses and questioned Khan about their condition, revealed the abuse in a tweet.
September 14, 2020: Zafar Naqvi, former senior content producer at ARY News, faced a third harassment attempt. Naqvi, previously abducted twice in April 2020 after commenting on high-profile stories, reported that men claiming to be surveyors visited his home.
August 12, 2020: Women journalists have voiced serious concerns over online threats and harassment from government supporters in response to their criticism of government policies and handling of COVID-19. They report targeted attacks, gender-based slurs, and attempts to hack their social media accounts.
August 11, 2020: Abbas Ali Jutt, a journalist with Daily Sahafat and general secretary of the Okara Union of Journalists, was attacked in Punjab on August 8, 2020. The attack, linked to his social media posts about local drug dealers, has drawn calls from IFJ and PFUJ for a thorough investigation.
July 10, 2020: Senior journalist Ahsan Zia, an anchor at Koh-e Noor TV, has been receiving death threats and abusive messages from unknown individuals using fraudulent SIM cards. Media organizations and press freedom groups have condemned the threats and called for protection.
June 29, 2020: Freedom Network demands action from the Press Information Department after a video containing death threats against journalists Hamid Mir and Muhammad Malick circulates. The Chief Justice of Pakistan takes notice of the derogatory video targeting judges and media critics.
June 23, 2020: PFUJ and Freedom Network express serious concern over the brutal violence against Chaman-based journalists Saeed Ali Achakzai and Abdul Mateen. They demand a judicial inquiry, the arrest of those responsible, and the safety of journalists in Balochistan.
June 02, 2020: Jameer Mahir, Vice President of Shikarpur Union of Journalists, was seriously injured in an attack by unknown assailants in Taluka Lakhi Ghulam Shah and hospitalized in Sukkur. Sukkur Union of Journalists President Saleem Sahito has called for increased government security in response to the attack.
May 21, 2020: Senior journalist Ijaz Ahmed Khan of the Associated Press of Pakistan sustained a serious head injury in an attack by two unknown men near Peshawar-Charsadda Road. He was hospitalized and filed an FIR with Khazana Police Station.
May 18, 2020: Jamshed Baghwan, Peshawar bureau chief for Express News Television, was harassed by three unidentified men outside the traffic police headquarters. He filed an FIR, and the incident has been condemned by politicians, journalists, and local unions.
May 07, 2020: Freedom Network expresses serious concern over the attack on Dawn correspondent A.B. Arisar's home in Umerkot, Sindh. The organization highlights the alarming rise in attacks on journalists in the region, noting Sindh as the second most unsafe place for media in Pakistan.
May 04, 2020: On World Press Freedom Day, police manhandled Hum News correspondent Muhammad Amin while he covered a fight in Akora Khattak, Nowshera. Despite proving his identity, police confiscated his phone and threatened him with a gun.
March 13, 2020: The Committee to Protect Journalists urges Pakistan to lift restrictions on Geo News imposed by PEMRA and restore its free broadcast. The move follows the controversial arrest of Jang Media Group's CEO, Shakil-ur-Rehman.
March 12, 2020: The National Accountability Bureau arrested Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman, editor-in-chief of the Jang Group, on corruption charges related to a 1986 land transaction. Geo TV denies allegations, citing retaliation for investigative programs.
February 13, 2020: The Committee to Protect Journalists urges Pakistani authorities to withdraw threats of terrorism charges against journalist Gul Bukhari and stop harassing journalists domestically and internationally.
February 07, 2020: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on Dutch authorities to investigate the attack on exiled Pakistani blogger Ahmad Waqass Goraya and urges protection for him. RSF suspects ISI involvement and demands action from the Dutch government to ensure accountability.
January 07, 2020: Journalists and human rights groups condemn the raid on the publisher of the Urdu translation of Muhammad Hanif's novel A Case of Exploding Mangoes in Islamabad, questioning ISI's motives and highlighting the risks faced by Urdu authors.
December 12, 2019: Journalist Ahmad Noorani reported harassment after a person claiming to be an inspector from an intelligence agency visited his home in his absence. The individual stated he was there to escort Noorani to meet a high-ranking officer, prompting Noorani to call it harassment.