Once again, Pakistan’s vibrant daring media is under attack. This time ARY’s Islamabad’s office has become the target for airing more people-oriented news. Every time we’ve felt the attacks go down, they plunge from around the corner and pounce on media outlets to scare them. The threats and their practical implementation have never dampened the spirits of our media.
Every institution and nearly every individual have given their share of sacrifice in the war on terror. The radicalized monsters keep imagining that they can win people over by instilling fear into their hearts, taking away their loved ones and disabling some for the rest of their lives. The harder they try, the more severe the failure is. Once more, let’s remind them that Pakistanis are a resilient nation.
The attack on the well-known broadcaster’s office in the capital came as the result of its balanced reporting. The terrorist were not getting their lion’s share on television and that is what was unbearable for them. The militant group Islamic State Wilayah Khurasan which claims allegiance to Islamic State in pamphlets distributed in English and Urdu outside the office has warned the media outlet on its wide coverage on the Pakistan’s military offensive against militants in the North Waziristan region. Adding to it, the terror group also accused them of covering up ‘destruction and massacres’ by the army.
Pakistan’s media has been in a difficult situation. The attacks from the banned groups keep increasing as media is not supposed to present or report any news from the seventy two banned terror organizations. This is one way to strangle their voice. But they resort to their only technique, infusing terror and fear. Nevertheless, the audacious robust media has made up their minds. Not to bow to their cheap tactics of agitation.
After every unfortunate incident on a media house or if a journalist comes in the line of fire, the Government makes it a point to condemn the happening. Protection and security is the need of the hour. Journalists are not able to report bitter truth as they are constantly being harassed or threatened. Assurances upon assurances are given that security will be the utmost priority but nothing has changed.
Either the media comes under conspiracy theories of towing a political party’s line or it’s these xenophobic people that are always looking for a chance to shred them. Journalism is not an easy profession in Pakistan and neither being a journalist is considered to be a safe choice. Zaman Mehsud, a FATA journalist was shot five times while riding his motorbike last November. The Taliban killers justified his killing saying that 38 year old Mehsud has refused to give them space in his news pieces.
Gone are the days when one would brush news under the carpet. We are living in a smart age now. Nothing goes unnoticed. The media is so loud and courageous that it doesn’t forgive anyone. According to the Freedom Network, an Islamabad based media watchdog monitoring journalist’s safety claims a total of 115 Pakistani journalists have been killed since 2001. An estimated 2,000 more have been harassed, intimidated, threatened, abducted or tortured.
Pakistan is considered one of the dangerous zones to practice journalism.
Yet nothing has worked as a mute button for the media. They have made sure that they fulfill the responsibilities of its people who look up to them for authentic reliable information. There have been several such attacks in the past and have gone intense ever since. Measures need to be taken to curb such attacks as these terrorists go to any length to have their voices heard. Don’t we remember the grueling incident when our 132 children lost their lives just because these murderers wanted to let the world know that they exist?
