Journalist safety laws remain 'on paper', Freedom Network report warns

Pakistan’s laws to protect journalists from threats and attacks risk staying largely “on paper” unless the federal and provincial safety commissions get more powers, complaint systems people can actually use, and the resources to give timely protection, a new report by the media watchdog Freedom Network says, Dawn reported.

The report, titled “From safety on paper to safety in practice”, assesses the work of two commissions, one set up by the federal government and the other by the Sindh government. Freedom Network produced it with support from International Media Support (IMS).

Laws since 2022

Parliament passed two special laws in 2022 to fight impunity for crimes against journalists and the media, the report says. Both the federal and Sindh governments set up commissions to enforce them.

Authors Minahil Shahab and Adnan Rehmat examined how well the commissions work through consultations, interviews and an online survey of about 40 working journalists in Sindh, including some from rural areas.

What journalists said

Survey finding	Share
Faced work-related threats or interference since 2021	65pc
Knew a provincial protection law existed	70pc
Did not know how to reach the commission, its office, website or complaint route	65pc
Employers never told them about safety procedures, emergency contacts, insurance or legal help	51pc

The gap between knowing a law exists and knowing how to use it is at the heart of the report: most journalists surveyed knew there was a provincial law, but most could not find the commission it created. The report notes that these figures describe the group surveyed and do not establish how common threats are across the whole province.

Two commissions, different problems

• Federal commission: chairperson Kamal Uddin Tipu spoke of staff, budget and administrative constraints. With the commission now working, the report says the priority is making sure its people, money and complaint systems can deliver timely protection and follow-up.
• Sindh commission: the report found an established body with premises, meetings, complaints and contact with police and media groups. But union representatives and non-official members described slow responses, little outreach beyond Karachi and dependence on police replies. Chairperson Aijaz Ahmed Memon disputed suggestions that journalists did not trust the commission and reported better coordination, more case activity and plans for outreach.

Memon also said 44 media outlets had not replied to the commission’s questions.

Employers’ duty

The report says media employers have their own responsibilities. Half of the journalists surveyed said they had never been briefed on safety procedures, emergency contacts, insurance, legal assistance or complaint routes.

What it recommends

• confidential and easy-to-use complaint routes
• urgent risk assessment when threats are reported
• named caseworkers for each case
• clear procedures for escalating cases to the police
• stronger cooperation from media employers
• publication of anonymised outcomes and spending

The report says any changes to the laws must be drafted carefully to deal with the legal barriers it documented. Freedom Network called for coordinated action by governments, commissions, police, media employers and journalists’ organisations, so that reporters can get effective help when threats arise.