On November 21, 2024, a group of journalists, including Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Pakistan representative Iqbal Khattak and a team from the Freedom Network, were forced to end their meeting early in Dera Ghazi Khan, a district in Pakistan’s Punjab province. The meeting, which was focused on discussing the challenges to media safety and freedom of expression in the Seraiki region of Punjab, was disrupted by plain-clothed officials and police officers in uniform.
The officials who arrived at the meeting were identified as Tehsildar (sub-district officer) Chaudhry Haneef and Punjab Police SHO (Station House Officer) Younas from Saddar Police Station. They ordered Khattak and the Freedom Network team to stop the meeting and leave the venue, stating, “Stop the meeting and leave the district.”
Khattak and his team were discussing issues related to media freedoms in the Seraiki belt, which includes Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Muzaffargarh, and Layyah districts. They were also engaging with local journalists and civil society leaders to frame recommendations for the provincial government on improving the safety of journalists and freedom of expression.
The disruption occurred at the Overseas Banquet Hall in Dera Ghazi Khan, where the meeting was being held as part of Freedom Network’s regular research on media freedoms in different regions of Pakistan. Khattak, a member of the Punjab Journalists Protection Coordination Committee, was in the middle of discussions with local journalists when the officials arrived without showing any legal directive or official order. When asked for a written directive, Haneef and Younas claimed they were acting on verbal orders from the assistant commissioner, though they failed to provide any legal justification for their actions.
Despite the lack of any legal basis for their intervention, the officials insisted that the meeting should end immediately. They even prevented the participants from having their scheduled lunch and pressured the hotel management to end the event. The disruption occurred just minutes after the local journalists had been discussing the widespread issues they face, including intimidation, censorship, and violence from local authorities and intelligence agencies. Many of these journalists expressed their concerns about the difficult environment they work in, where threats and violence from authorities are common.
The Freedom Network and RSF Pakistan representatives had recently met with senior officials, including the Additional Inspector General of Police for South Punjab and former Punjab Governor Malik Rafiq Rajwana, to discuss measures for protecting journalists and tackling impunity for crimes against the media. However, this meeting in Dera Ghazi Khan was abruptly interrupted by the authorities, raising serious concerns about the state of media freedom in the region.
This incident is part of a broader pattern of government crackdowns on journalists and media institutions in Punjab. In June 2024, local authorities forcibly shut down the Dera Ghazi Khan Press Club after opposition leaders held a press conference there. The club’s president and secretary were arrested and imprisoned for a month under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law. Local journalists have since struggled to find a platform to voice their concerns, and the closure of the press club has significantly impacted the community’s ability to engage in free expression.
Khattak, who is also part of a government-formed committee aimed at protecting journalists, expressed his concerns about the growing threats to media freedoms in the region. He called on Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif to take personal interest in reopening the Dera Ghazi Khan Press Club and ensuring that local journalists are not silenced. The closure of the press club, Khattak said, is a clear violation of the government’s stated commitment to protect freedom of expression.
Despite the government’s promises to protect journalists, incidents like this raise serious questions about the actual commitment to media freedoms in Punjab. The disruption of the meeting in Dera Ghazi Khan highlights the ongoing challenges faced by journalists working in the region, who often face intimidation, harassment, and censorship. These challenges are further compounded by the lack of accountability for those responsible for these actions, leaving journalists in a vulnerable position.
Khattak and the Freedom Network team are continuing their efforts to raise awareness about these issues and advocate for greater protections for journalists. They are working to ensure that the government takes meaningful action to address the growing threats to media freedoms in the Seraiki belt and across Punjab. However, incidents like the one in Dera Ghazi Khan suggest that much more needs to be done to create a safe and supportive environment for journalists in Pakistan.
In conclusion, the forced disruption of the meeting in Dera Ghazi Khan is a stark reminder of the ongoing struggles faced by journalists in Pakistan. The actions of the authorities not only violated the rights of the journalists involved but also raised serious concerns about the state of media freedoms in the region. With threats and violence against journalists on the rise, it is crucial for the government to take concrete steps to protect the press and ensure that journalists can carry out their work without fear of reprisal.