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.
December 02, 2019: Around 100 people gathered outside Dawn's offices, blocking the gates for nearly three hours. The protestors, led by an elderly man with a megaphone, accused the newspaper of undermining Pakistan's efforts against terrorism. They chanted slogans in support of the ISI and the Army.
September 29, 2019: Irfan Malik, deputy bureau chief of 24 News, survived an attempt on his life in Media Town. He was chased and attacked by assailants, captured in CCTV footage. Malik has filed an FIR, and journalists are meeting at the National Press Club to discuss the incident and plan their response.
September 20, 2019: A VSH News Television journalist, Iqbal Baloch, received a death threat from an armed man in the Kala Pul area. The incident occurred in broad daylight when the gunman intercepted Baloch’s car. VSH News reports ongoing harassment and threats against its journalists.
September 05, 2019: A Dunya News Television reporter, Ibrar Ahmed, and cameraperson, Rehmat Ali, were injured in twin blasts in Quetta. The media team was covering the first explosion when a second blast occurred, resulting in further injuries. One rescue worker was killed, and 11 others were injured.
August 31, 2019: Jamil Ahmed, a sub-editor with Daily Azadi, was shot and injured by unidentified armed men in Quetta. He was taken to a trauma center in critical condition. The motive behind the attack is unclear, and journalists' unions have condemned the violence, calling for the arrest of the attackers.
June 15, 2019: Senior journalist Mateen Haider and colleagues were attacked and beaten in Sector E-7 by alleged accomplices of notorious land grabber Hamza Bari. The incident occurred while they were condoling a death. Police have registered an FIR and made three arrests.
June 12, 2019: Intelligence operatives harassed senior Dawn correspondent Baqir Sajjad after meeting British diplomats in Islamabad. Despite their attempts to detain him, Sajjad managed to escape. The incident has been widely condemned by media watchdogs, politicians, and journalists.
May 09, 2019: Islamabad Police forcibly evicted journalists from government apartments, damaging belongings and briefly detaining BOL News correspondent Shahid Maitla. National Press Club President Shakeel Qarar accuses Federal Housing Minister Tariq Bashir Cheema of ordering the action.
April 08, 2019: Senior journalist Mariana Baabar Pashteen reveals she is receiving threats and holds the Director General of ISPR accountable, not Prime Minister Imran Khan. PPP's Farhatullah Babar condemns the threats as "shameful and cowardly."
March 30, 2019: Masked men abducted Jang newspaper reporter Matloob Husain Mosavi from his home in Salman Farsi Society. The men arrived in multiple vehicles, locked up his family, and misbehaved with them.
December 17, 2018: Guards of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif attacked Wajid Ali, a cameraperson from Samaa TV, outside the Parliament House, leaving him unconscious. The incident occurred after Ali’s camera accidentally struck a chief protocol officer. Ali was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).
December 10, 2018: Security personnel raided the house of ailing journalist Shabbar Azami, who is confined to a wheelchair following a recent paralysis attack. The team took photos of his home before leaving. Azami, a respected figure in the press freedom movement and associated with the late Minhaj Barna, has a history of advocating against dictatorship.
November 14, 2018: The Bajaur Press Club in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been closed indefinitely due to threats. Authorities warned of an "imminent threat" to the club and journalists. This closure follows the recent murder of journalist Sohail Khan in Haripur district.
November 11, 2018: Law enforcers detained Nasrullah Khan Chaudhry, a journalist with Nai Baat, during a raid on his home. His whereabouts are unknown, prompting PFUJ and Karachi Union of Journalists to term the detention an attack on press freedom.
November 08, 2018: About a dozen armed men in plain clothes stormed the Karachi Press Club, harassing journalists and taking videos and pictures. The assailants fled when questioned. Press club officials have demanded an immediate inquiry and action from Sindh's governor and chief minister
November 05, 2018: Unidentified masked men attacked and injured journalist Kamran Gul in his Roznama Akhbar office in Gul Bahar. The assailants used iron rods and sticks, fleeing after Gul began bleeding profusely. The CCPO has formed a committee headed by SSP Operations to investigate the incident.
November 01, 2018: Journalist Farhan Hussain, who has received death threats and sought security from various authorities, faces inadequate protection. Despite an FIR against unknown assailants and appeals to high officials, there has been no progress. The PFUJ and Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists demand immediate action to safeguard Hussain.
June 05, 2018: Unidentified men kidnapped The Nation columnist and Waqt TV analyst Gul Bukhari in Lahore. She was on her way to the Waqt TV offices when abducted by men in multiple vehicles. The incident has raised serious concerns about journalist safety in Pakistan. Investigations are ongoing to ensure her safe return.
June 05, 2018: Armed masked men attacked BOL News presenter Asad Kharal in Lahore, leaving him seriously injured. The vocal critic of PML-N was intercepted at gunpoint near the airport and brutally beaten. BOL News quickly blamed PML-N for the assault. Kharal is now hospitalized with severe injuries and fractured arms.
May 08, 2018: BOL News presenter and PTI member Aamir Liaquat Hussain was attacked and had his clothes ripped by PPP workers at a police station. The incident, captured on video, highlights the escalating political violence in Pakistan.