In Pakistan, 32 cases of Journalist Harassment filed in a year: Islamabad police tells SC

In a key development, Supreme Court of Pakistan was informed on Friday, November 12, that action had been taken against 32 people accused of harassing and attacking journalists in the capital city of Islamabad. On September 13, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan, directed the IGP Islamabad to submit a report on the investigation conducted in the cases registered by the journalists. According to Dawn, in this regard, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad submitted a report detailing the actions taken by the Islamabad police against the 32 people suspected of involvement in 16 attempts on the lives of journalists.

According to the report, 16 cases of criminal intimidation, assault, and attempted murder were reported by journalists at various police stations in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) from September 13 last year to September 12 this year. According to Dawn, the report was provided in accordance with a directive issued by a three-judge Supreme Court bench after it took up suo motu a complaint of harassment filed on behalf of a journalist by the Press Association of the Supreme Court (PAS). At its most recent hearing on September 13, Pakistan's Supreme Court asked the chief of Islamabad police whether or not the reported attacks on journalists had been investigated and the perpetrators brought to justice. The IGP had told the court that some cases remained unsolved due to a lack of evidence.

SC ordered the IGP to provide a comprehensive report

However, the court ordered the IGP to provide a comprehensive report on all reported attacks on journalists in the previous year, according to the publication. The challans in 12 of the 16 cases have been submitted to the trial courts. Reportedly, four cases are under investigation, and strenuous efforts are being made to identify the culprits involved in the cases as soon as possible, and the investigation will be concluded fairly and impartially. During the previous hearing, the Supreme Court summoned the Director-General of the Federal Investigation Agency, the Islamabad police, and the Chairman of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority in a case involving journalist harassment. At the next hearing, it also summoned the attorney general and the advocate general ICT. The bench also requested a report from the IHC registrar on the status of pending cases involving media personnel.

Pakistan is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists. According to RSF's (Reporters Without Borders) 2020 World Press Freedom Index, Pakistan is ranked 145th out of 180 countries. According to the Freedom Network, a media watchdog, 33 journalists were killed in Pakistan between 2013 and 2019. The report also revealed that journalists working in print media are twice as likely as those working in electronic media to face legal action. Due to Pakistan's strict patriarchal societal norms, women journalists are even more vulnerable to violence and threats.

(With inputs from agencies)

Image: AP