Quetta, Nov 4 (IANS) Journalists in Pakistan's Balochistan province observed 'Black Day' on Tuesday to remember November 3, 2007 emergency and protest against the forced dismissal of media professionals, the shutdown of media bureau offices in Balochistan, non-payment and delayed payment of their salaries, local media reported on Wednesday.
Journalists wore black armbands, hoisted black flags at press clubs and held protests in Balochistan to highlight the challenges faced by the media industry in Pakistan. The protest was held at the call given by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), leading Pakistani daily Dawn reported.
Last month, an Islamabad-based media watchdog documented 97 violations against the media and its practitioners from October 2025 to August 2026. It stated that Pakistan remained a deeply hostile environment for journalism and media professionals during 2025-26 despite the drop in the number of documented violations.
Freedom Network’s latest annual Impunity Report 2026 titled 'From Violence to Lawfare: Process as Punishment for Journalists' stated, "About 10 cases a month (against media personnel), their nationwide spread and severity in the period showed that fewer violations did not mean greater safety." The report authored by journalist Adnan Rehmat and Freedom Network Executive Director Iqbal Khattak was produced with technical assistance from International Media Support (IMS).
Freedom Network said that at least 97 attacks and other violations were reported between October 2025 and August 2026, compared with 142 in the preceding cycle. Cases reported from October 2025 to August 2026 included one work-related killing, three attempted assassinations, 18 threats of murder or harm, 13 legal actions and 32 threats of legal actions as well as 11 assaults.
Punjab reported 49 cases, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad and Balochistan. Digital and independent journalists were targeted most often, according to the report. Victims or their families said that government authorities and officials were alleged instigators in nearly two-thirds of the cases.
Khattak said, "Despite the presence on the statute books of two laws to combat impunity for crimes against journalists, such a finding should be a matter of concern for those at the helm of affairs of the two safety commissions established under these laws."
The report said that the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) used the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) against journalists to punish dissent as “central to this legal siege” of online journalism in Pakistan. Analysis of representative PECA-related cases against journalists shows a recurring pattern, from complaint, notice, or inquiry to appearance, FIR, arrest, bail, and eventual relief, apology, or unresolved prosecution, according to the report.
--IANS
akl/as
