N[ID constant sociopolitical turmoil, Pakistan`s journalists have been under siege for long. As attempts i o intimidate them into silence grow more blatant, Balochistan`s reporters, caught between the state and violent militants, battle an exceptionally hostile environment. The perilous circumstances our media functions in are reflected in the Committee to Protect Journalists` statistics, which show last year as the deadliest for media persons in 30 years: some 124 journalists were killed in 18 countries; Pakistan stood at number two, with Sudan, for the highest journalist fatalities.

Recently, Abdul Wahid Raisani, a journalist at Daily Azadi, was gunned down during an alleged robbery in Quetta`s Bank Colony area. According to the police, Mr Raisani was on his way home when he was ambushed by robbers who wanted to run off with his motorcycle. The Balochistan Union of Journalists has issued aggressive condemnations and called for the immediate arrest of the culprits, but his family refuses to comment.

Media freedom fortifies representative democracy by holding power accountable and exposing injustice, while conveying truth to the public brings transparency into the business of the state. But the truth is that successive governments and the legal framework have proved ineffective in ensuring action against murderers of journalists. Their failures have shaped a culture of impunity whereby journalists are hounded by incessant threats and attacks. Freedom Network`s 2024 Impunity Report asserts that in Pakistan six journalists were killed between November 2023 and August 2024. It is a matter of shame that the cost of speaking truth to power is paying with one`s life, especially in conflict-ridden areas such as Balochistan and KP. Silencing journalists impacts all strata of society, damages democratic values as well as the public`s faith in the system. Hence, the authorities must commit to enforcing laws particularly the relevant 2021 law along with robust investigations into violence against the press so that such atrocities are halted and the perpetrators are convicted.