Press Freedom Day is being celebrated today across the
world, including Pakistan, to pay tribute to the struggle and sacrifices of
journalists.
The threats and challenges faced by journalists around the
world are gaining global attention. Free journalism is a strong guarantee of
democracy and public awareness worldwide, including in Pakistan.
The purpose of celebrating Press Freedom Day is to make the
nation and the world aware of the difficulties, problems, threatening behaviors,
and threats to life faced by journalists and journalism institutions while
performing their professional duties.
In Pakistan, journalism is recognized as the fourth pillar
of the state. Despite this, journalists have seen various periods of
restrictions and imprisonment in the past. The current freedom of journalism is
not given by anyone, but it is the result of the struggle of journalists who
have endured torture in prisons, been whipped and remained in chains.
One of the reasons for holding this day is to remind society
how many journalists have left this world and how many are still alive behind
bars to provide the public with factual news. According to the Committee to
Protect Journalists, more than 1,402 journalists have sacrificed their lives
from 1992 to 2025.
The number of journalists imprisoned for performing their
duties is also not small. World Press Freedom Day reminds us that a free and
independent media is the guarantee of a conscious and strong society.
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