Scribes in Pakistan constantly under a shadow of threat, Disinformation is also ‘Common enemy’
According to the World Press Freedom Index 2022, Pakistan, which claims to be a Parliamentary republic, is seeing a spike in attacks on the media which has highlighted the looming threat to fundamental freedoms in the country. Further report Pakistan has slipped by 12 points in the index, from a rank of 145th in 2021 to 157th in 2022 and India slips 8 places to 150th position.
The index released by Reporters Without Borders(RSF) on May 3, which is observed as World Press Freedom Day, assesses the state of journalism in 180 countries and territories.
China is way below the index. Pakistan with a global score of 37.99 is in the 157th position, while China with a score of 25.17 is in the 175th spot.
Bhutan with a score of 76.46 is at the 33rd position, the best in the region.
Norway with a global score of 92.65 is at the top of the list, followed by Denmark and Sweden.
The worst performer is North Korea with a global score of 13.92. The other countries in the bottom 5 are Eritrea, Iran, Turkmenistan and Myanmar.
The index also reveals a two-fold increase in polarisation amplified by information chaos – that is, media polarisation fuelling divisions within countries, as well as polarization between countries at the international level.
Bilal Baloch, a Pakistani Journalist based in France said that scribes in Pakistan were constantly living under a shadow of threat.
“If we see the freedom of press index which was published from very recognized organization reporters without borders Pakistan’s level is very low,” said Bilal.
The oppressive approach against the media in Pakistan, which started under the dictatorship of army general Zia-ul-Haq during the 1980s continues today.
Journalists critical of the military are often attacked, threatened, or arrested and there is a long list of cases of intimidation of news reporters by army-related agencies.
According to Freedom network, an award-winning Pakistan-based media rights watchdog, at least 86 cases of attacks and violations against press and journalists took place between May 2021 and April 2022.
Unfortunately, successive Pakistani governments which are civilian facades used to conceal the iron fist of the army, are involved in crushing dissent and criminalizing dissimilar opinions
For instance, Pakistani media in conflict zones are non-existent.
Hotspots like Balochistan, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have become no-go areas for journalists, with information from these regions reduced to a trickle.
Pakistan was never an easy place for journalists to work, but now the very existence of the media is in threat
Several Pakistani journalists like Taha Siddiqui are living in exile but still don’t feel safe and they have a reason to worry.
Exiled Pakistani Journalist, Taha Siddiqui said “Journalists in Pakistan are under threat. They are living under the threat of being kidnapped, they are living under the threat of being attacked, losing their jobs, financial sort of blackmailing that happens.”
The question is, 'Are journalists above the law and not accountable or responsible for their lies and fake news?'
In the present complex world, where politicians, mafias, and NGOs are strong contenders for political power contests - it is tough for Journalists to speak the reality. On the contrary, more journalists/scribes are fake and liars, they are the sole cause of riots and genocides. There are multiple forms of polarization, political vendetta, racial slur, colour taunt and religious hatred as tools for exclusive dominance. There are border conflicts between countries, and military and mafias wield fear, threaten and rule people and where Journalists are puppets to their media bosses who dictate to them in a particular order to serve.
Journalists are not independent in finding and investigating facts.
Independent journalists also spread fake news to earn money and fame. Some journalists are the tools of foreign hands.
In such circumstances, there are no substitute ways except muzzling journalists and put behind jail.
Disinformation is also a ‘Common enemy’
Although China said that disinformation was a common enemy of the international community, it disassociated itself from adopting the draft resolution, saying that there was too little emphasis on the root causes of fake news, and the role of human rights mechanisms
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