Pakistan's media works under a repressive environment facing online harassment according to recent reports.
The first report prepared by the Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), titled 'Online harassment of the media in Pakistan', stated that journalists are often on the receiving end of hate, threats and abuse from a range of individuals, reported Dawn.
"Certain journalists have suffered the repercussions of their active presence online with abductions and registration of cases," the report said, adding that while online harassment continued, the push for legislation to control social media and the criminalisation of content online had become a tool to harass media.
The situation was highlighted in three reports released in connection with the 'International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists' which is observed on November 2.
The reports paint an abysmal picture of press freedom with attacks coming from all fronts and space for free expression continuously shrinking, reported Dawn.
In August 2020, women journalists had issued a joint statement against the "vicious attacks through social media" they endured.
In September, senior journalist and NewsOne anchor-person Gharidah Farooqi, as well as Benazir Shah, were victims of an online campaign, while in October, senior journalist Asma Shirazi, who had written a column for BBC Urdu, was met with scorn from both Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI's) supporters and ministers.
"The past year has seen the continuation of trends to threaten and intimidate journalists online. While both private individuals online and members of the government continue to participate and initiate trends against certain media professionals and organisations, there is also an increased focus on setting up rules for social media platforms," the PPF report said.
Another report prepared by the PPF, titled 'Attacks on Media in Pakistan January-October 2021', deplored the shrinking space for free expression in Pakistan.
The PPF observed an alarming trend during 2021 when not only physical attacks against media continued with impunity but the state-level push to restrict free expression also grew, reported Dawn.
The PPF recorded at least 27 incidents where media personnel were physically assaulted in connection with their work, including both armed attacks and the beating of journalists.
The third report, a research study titled 'Criminalising Online Dissent through Legal Victimisation: Impunity against Journalists Prosecuted under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA)' by media rights watchdog Freedom Network, stated that a chilling pattern had emerged in the use of the criminal defamation section of Pakistan's anti-cybercrime law, PECA.
The study revealed that cases were registered against 56 per cent of the two dozen Pakistani journalists and information practitioners who had a brush with PECA between 2019 and 2021.
The executive director of Freedom Network, Iqbal Khattak, said Pakistani journalists were increasingly using online spaces to share independent news and critical commentary that was suppressed on traditional media, reported Dawn.
"It was unacceptable for democratic societies to criminalise dissent and enforce victimisation through arrests and torture of journalists, which must stop forthwith, and which contributed to Pakistan's abysmally low ranking on global freedom of expression index," he said.
( With inputs from ANI )
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