ON Sept 8, the Nepalese capital erupted in chaos. The world witnessed thousands of young protesters in school uniform who identified themselves as Gen Z on the streets of Kathmandu, demonstrating against a ban on social media.

The protest spiralled into violence after clashes with police left 22 people dead in just a few hours. The following day, an incensed mob set ablaze government and private buildings including parliament, the office of the Nepali Congress Party, the supreme court and the homes of politicians before vandalising them. There were also reports of prison breakouts with over 1,200 hardened inmates managing to escape. To date, the death toll in the country stands at 51, with over 1,300 injured.

Media experts in Nepal, such as Kanak Mani Dixit, believe that the demonstrations started by Gen Z underlined genuine concerns regarding poor governance and corruption. However, he believed that the rally was hijacked by anarchists, including those with nefarious political affiliations within and outside Nepal, which led to the toppling of the coalition government. Even the media covering the protests were not spared. Angry youth set fire to the premises of the Kantipur Media Group (KMG) on Sept 9. Thankfully, there were no casualties.

`You can burn the newsroom, you can`t destroy the spirit,` posted Anup Kaphle, former editor of the Kathmandu Post, a part of KMG and housed within its premises. That spirit was put to the test and the papers affiliated with this media group the Nepali-language Kantipur Daily and its English-language sister publication, The Kathmandu Post hit the stands the next morning on Sept 10.

The group continued publishing reports on their social media platforms, including Facebook and X, as the ban had already been lifted. It was heartening to see Nepalese journalists bravely continuing to report despite intimidation. But then, nothing less was expected from this media powerhouse known for fiercely guarding its editorial independence. By taking a principled stance and reporting the truth, without pandering to any government, political party or corporation, the media house has frequently drawn the ire of various displeased groups.

The mob attack on the media has come as a rude shock to mainstream journalists in Nepal, who, unlike their counterparts in many other South Asian countries, have so far enjoyed relatively more media freedom. As one senior journalist put it, `For the first time, I understood what selfcensorship feels like.

No journalist should have to feel thisway. But in Pakistan, many do. Pakistani media face backlash from multiple actors the state, corporations, religious groups, political elites and militants. These threats are met with inaction, with perpetrators rarely held accountable. Internal divisions further weaken the media amid external pressures. Attacks on one outlet are ignored by others, due to political alignments. What media fail to realise is that unity is vital when under attack.

The attack on its media is not just Nepal`s problem. It`s a regional clarion call. All South Asian media must unite when journalism becomes a casualty, democracy is at stake.

However, unity alone is not enough.

Media must earn public trust and support through journalistic integrity. In Pakistan, this link is sorely missing. While attacks on the press must never be tolerated, media houses shouldinvestin safety trainingand safe evacuation of their staff (KMG staff were swiftly evacuated when their offices came under attack). At the same time, theyneed systems to continue reporting after attacks. Do Pakistani media have such contingency plans in place? The attack on the press in Nepal did not occur in isolation. It followed the clampdown on digital freedoms. Nepal`s youth,having never experienced such bans before, found it particularly unsettling as social media plays a huge part in their everyday informational and commercial needs. Weeks before the ban, a viral social media campaign called `Nepo kids` had been exposing the extravagant lifestyles of politicians` children, prompting allegations of corruption and nepotism.

The Nepalese government`s attempt to silence Gen Z`s demand for a corruptionfree society by blocking their access to social media platforms, backfired.

Therein lies a lesson for Pakistan which has a restless youth bulge of 44.6 million.

Ignoring their energy and frustration can lead to dangerous consequences.

Economist Dr Hafeez A. Pasha has repeatedly warned of the 34 per cent or 15.1m that are idle; they are neither in educational institutes, nor employed. In contrast, the rate is 18pc in Sri Lanka, 24pc in India, and 30pc in Bangladesh. The question is: do our rulers have a plan to stem their discontent, or are they waiting for a Nepal-like situation to erupt? • The wnter is a Karachi-based independent joumalist.