Pakistan rated second deadliest for press

Share this story! PESHAWAR: Pakistan has been rated second in a worldwide press freedom round-up for 2008 where seven journalists were killed as 60 journalists working with different news organisations lost their lives around the globe. "The Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions are still the deadliest for the press. After Iraq (with 15 journalists killed), the two countries with the highest death tolls are Pakistan and the Philippines (six killed)," Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said in its 'Press freedom round-up 2008’. Among the seven journalists killed in Pakistan this year, two were shot dead in Swat, two in Balochistan, one each in Bajaur Agency, Sindh and Punjab provinces. A terrorist organisation claimed responsibility for the murder of Chishti Mujahid, a Quetta-based journalist. The RSF press freedom round-up said figures for 2008 were ‘better despite hostile climate and more Internet repression’ around the world. In 2007, 86 journalists and 20 media assistants were killed and 887 were arrested, 1,511 physically attacked or threatened, 528 media outlets were censored and 67 kidnapped. The 2008 round-up said besides the 60 journalists, one media assistant was also killed, 673 journalists were arrested, 929 physically attacked or threatened, 353 media outlets were censored and 29 journalists kidnapped. "The figures may be lower than last year's but this should not mask the fact that intimidation and censorship have become more widespread," the RSF commented. The RSF said it only counted cases in which a link between the violation and the victim's work as a journalist was clearly established or was very likely. "The figures do not cover violations which the victims chose not to report (usually for security reasons).” The fall in the number of journalists from traditional media killed or arrested in 2008 does not mean the press freedom situation has improved, the report said. "As the print and broadcast media evolve and the blogosphere becomes a worldwide phenomenon, predatory activity is increasingly focusing on the Internet." In this respect, the figures speak for themselves. In 2008, someone was for the first time killed while acting as a ‘citizen journalist’. iqbal khattak