JournalismPakistan.com
February 02, 2022

ISLAMABAD—The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) has emphasized that following 2020, 2021 came to be a challenging year for journalists, media workers, and media organizations in Pakistan as freedom of press and freedom of expression remained under pressure.

In the annual report titled "Pakistan Media Freedom Report - 2021", CPNE expressed concerns over tactics to stifle freedom of media, freedom of expression, and access to information.

In 2021 alone, according to the report, five journalists were killed in the line of duty, including Karachi-based social media activist and community journalist Nazim Jokhio, who was abducted and killed mercilessly.

At least nine journalists lost their lives due to the coronavirus pandemic, whereas two newsmen committed suicide due to the lingering unemployment, it noted.

The report further pointed out that due to the Covid-19 pandemic, not only several journalists lost their lives, but it also plunged the media houses into deep financial crises. Different institutions continuously attempted to keep the journalist community under pressure through direct and indirect tactics.

The report highlighted that many journalists had to face murder attempts, threats, lawsuits, and telephone calls from "unknown numbers," in addition to online harassment on various occasions. The family members of the affected journalists were also subjected to physical and mental torture."

CPNE also highlighted that state institutions registered cases against several journalists during 2021, mentioning the government's attempts to stifle social media, including blocking 19,000 accounts and the repeated bans on TikTok.

However, CPNE lauded the passage of the Journalist Protection Bill by the federal government. It also appreciated the Protection of Journalists and Media Practitioners Bill by the Sindh government and urged other provinces to follow suit.