Lahore, On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has issued a strong call for the state to enhance protections for journalists and media workers, amid ongoing threats and challenges to press freedom in the country.

According to Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, despite an improvement in Pakistan’s ranking on the World Press Freedom Index, journalists in the country continue to face a hostile work environment marked by threats, attacks, and enforced disappearances. The HRCP highlighted the case of Hamid Mir, a prominent journalist who recently received death threats, as an example of the urgent need for state action to ensure the safety of media professionals and to hold perpetrators of violence accountable.

The HRCP emphasized that such threats and the culture of impunity surrounding attacks on journalists undermine the fundamental democratic principles of freedom of expression and press freedom. The commission has called for the implementation of robust mechanisms to provide fair compensation, ensure job security, and protect media workers from harm, urging the government to affirm its commitment to safeguarding the rights of the press as a pillar of democracy.