An attack on a senior journalist in the heart of Federal capital on Friday once again proved that Pakistan is in the list of most dangerous countries for journalists for a reason. Ahmed Noorani senior investigative journalist was attacked in a brazen daylight by unknown assailants armed with steel rods, knives. Attackers left Noorani with serious head injuries; he was taken to the Poly Clinic hospital for treatment.
The whole incident exposed tall claims of authorities for making Islamabad a safe city. If a journalist can be attacked with such impunity in the federal capital, we can easily imagine that how easy it would be to attack members of press working in other parts of the country. It is no wonder then that Reporters Without Borders ranks Pakistan 139 out of 180 countries in its World Press Freedom Index of 2017. Journalists in Pakistan are routinely attacked, in the last 15 years, 117 journalists have been murdered in Pakistan yet only three of these have been taken up by judicial courts.
Government claims to provide more protection to journalists but nothing substantial has been done in this regard. It is unfortunate that attacks on journalists are rarely investigated, which is another reason for continued attacks on the press freedom in the country. Free press contains pivotal importance for a democratic government to function properly. Mere condemnation is not enough; government needs to take proactive measures to investigate all major instances of attacks. We hope that authorities would take stern action against culprits and perpetrators could be brought to justice.
In this particular incident not only a journalist is attacked, but it was an attack on the entire journalistic community of Pakistan that is working with the spirit of dedication to expose evils of our society. Media is a strategic pillar of the government such coward attempts may not succeed in hampering the reporters in Pakistan to report the truth. Such attacks would encourage the entire journalistic community of Pakistan to work with new resolve to work tirelessly for the cause of free Journalism in Pakistan.