The Press Club in Quetta, the central city of Balochistan, has been ordered to stop holding seminars and conferences without the administration’s permission. A notification issued by the Deputy Commissioner of Quetta District stated that this objectionable step was taken “in view of the current law and order situation.” However, state institutions have previously issued directives to the Press Club, instructing them not to host certain parties within the premises and to prevent sit-ins outside the Press Club.
Journalistic institutions in Balochistan face severe restrictions. Last month, advertisements for the newspapers “Intikhab” and “Azadi” were halted, and they were threatened for writing about the Baloch issue. Journalists covering the Balochistan resistance, such as Usman Kakar, have been harassed, with police raids on their homes. In Barkhan, journalists were forcibly disappeared for questioning the security failures. Many journalists have been forcibly disappeared or killed for covering Baloch resistance forces, and media outlets are struggling under state repression, severely limiting freedom of expression.
In the past two decades, forty-two journalists have been killed in Balochistan, press clubs have been shut down, and newspapers have been forcibly closed. International journalists’ access to Balochistan has been restricted, and many Baloch journalists have been forced into exile for writing about the burning issues of the region. Journalists remaining in Balochistan face harassment from the military and intelligence agencies.
According to the World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders, Pakistan’s ranking has dropped by two places, now standing at 152 out of 180 countries. The index states that Pakistan is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists. In the first six months of 2024, eight journalists have been killed in Pakistan, with influential politicians and state institutions involved in these killings.
In the age of information technology, requiring state approval for press clubs or media houses to broadcast the views of protesters cannot suppress emerging voices. State institutions need to reconsider this unwise decision and allow the Quetta Press Club and Balochistan’s newspapers to operate in accordance with their constitutional right to freedom of expression.