All media professionals and journalists may benefit from learning from the strange death of journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya. Although it is the first instance of a Pakistani journalist being killed abroad, his murder was added to the long list of journalists who have been killed here in the past 20 years.
Although it is too soon to draw any conclusions about who killed him and why, one thing is certain: the investigative journalist was slain because of the stories he had been reporting, whether or not we agree with them.
Despite the so-called democratic order being in existence since 2008, the amount of threats facing Pakistani media, from print to digital, is unparalleled due to the recent lack of any safety coverage, such as life insurance. Threats against journalists can originate from a variety of sources, including terror networks, pressure groups, state-controlled organisations, powerful individuals, and even the heads of major political parties.
It is also surprising that former prime minister Imran Khan, who justifiably voiced his concern about threats to media and journalists like anchor Imran Riaz Khan, Sabir Shakir, Sami Ibrahim, or Jamil Farooqi, on the one hand demanded an extensive investigation into the case of investigative journalist Arshad Sharif, has threatened other journalists and publicly identified them on the other.
Additionally, it is a truth that from 2018 to April 2022, when Khan’s administration was overthrown by a vote of no confidence, journalists were kidnapped, attacked, and tortured. A few of these journalists are Matiullah Jan, Asad Toor, and Absar Alam. Additionally, his administration attempted to monopolise the media by modifying the PECA Act of 2016 and the PECA Ordinance of 2020.
But it’s not only limited to Imran or PTI. In 2016, the PML-N government passed PECA and granted FIA hitherto unheard-of authority. The most recent reports indicate that the FIA has once more been “secretly assigned” some extremely contentious powers to target social media activists.
In comparison to other nations, Pakistan has an extremely bad track record when it comes to “crimes against journalists.” In past incidents, judicial commissions or so-called inquiries turned out to be nothing more than a “cover-up,” as in the deaths of journalists Hayatullah and Saleem Shahzad and the assault on veteran anchor and columnist Hamid Mir. Therefore, there is little hope that Arshad Sharif’s case will ultimately result in justice.
In Pakistan, reporting has never been simple, but in recent years, reporters have become more exposed as a result of their prominence on TV screens, making them obvious targets.
A strong democracy requires press freedom as well as the protection of media professionals. Media and democracy in Pakistan require a new beginning. Can we do it? is a concern that demands attention at all levels because, without the protection of journalists, you kill not only the individual but also the voice of opposition.
Although threats still exist, Pakistan has made great strides in mostly eliminating terrorism. However, journalists continue to be targeted, kidnapped, vanished, tortured, and killed. The case of journalist Arshad Sharif only serves to remind people of the risks that remain, making us one of the most hazardous nations for reporting and dissent.
