Dawn Editorials 3rd October 2025

Attacking the press

IT is a trend that one associates with authoritarian regimes, which crush protest and cannot tolerate even peaceful dissent. Sadly, what happened at the National Press Club in Islamabad yesterday is just another example of the speed at which the government is divesting itself of whatever democratic standards it claims to uphold.

It hardly matters that the minister of state for interior rushed to the premises to apologise ‘unconditionally’ or that the interior minister ordered an ‘inquiry’ into the police intrusion and subsequent violence against journalists at the club. It does not matter that the authorities tried to explain that the police action was initially targeted at a protest called by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee and that the situation had spiralled out of control.

What is of concern is that the brazen-faced barbarity at work — captured by phones and cameras, and circulated on social media for all to see — is not about to disappear in an environment where there is an active campaign to crack down on free expression.

The images and reports were traumatising: journalists were beaten, dragged and pushed around, their shirts torn, their equipment smashed. No damage control by the government is going to wipe out that memory.

Expectedly, condemnation has poured in from all sides. “We demand an immediate inquiry and those responsible brought to book,” said the HRCP. The president of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists has said it was “one of the darkest days” in the country’s history. Significantly, the PFUJ, Aemend and CPNE have together asserted that over the past few days, government-sponsored advertisements have appeared in the media labelling reporters, freelancers and others as anti-state.

Media watchdog Freedom Network has indicated the potential fallout of such dangerous advertisements: “Instead of ensuring their safety and a supportive work environment, this campaign further endangers media practitioners who already face threats, harassment, and physical violence.” It is chilling to imagine the greater horrors that lie beyond.

There is no doubt that years of state overreach have contributed to this fast-deteriorating situation. Politicians in opposition have talked loudly of the importance of press freedom; once in power, they have kept up the rhetoric but instituted draconian laws like Peca to silence all dissenters.

Media personnel have been picked up, disappeared and killed. Some have turned up later, shaken and unable to proceed. But accountability has eluded the mostly nameless perpetrators. In such conditions, one would have expected a united and robust media pushback — not unknown in the annals of Pakistani journalism.

Instead, there is a divided community today, unable to counter the silence thrust upon it. The need for independent journalism, fiercely defended by its practitioners, has never been greater. It is one of the last hopes for restoring democracy.

Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2025

Deadly numbers

THE statistics related to the frequency of militant attacks in Pakistan released by two local think tanks are cause for concern. They highlight that the state needs a much more proactive counterterrorism policy. As per the Pakistan Institute of Conflict and Security Studies, the number of militant attacks in the country last month had dropped compared to August’s figures. However, as a report from the Centre for Research and Security Studies points out, the current year may be the deadliest in a decade where terrorism-related fatalities are concerned. According to the PICSS findings, there were 69 militant attacks in September, causing 135 deaths. The overwhelming number of fatalities were those of security men and civilians. Also, in keeping with the general trend, KP and Balochistan were the hardest hit by terrorist violence, with the former recording 45 attacks in September, and the latter province witnessing 21 attacks. The most recent of these was Tuesday’s deadly bombing targeting the Frontier Corps headquarters in Quetta. While there may have been a dip in militant violence last month, the overall numbers for 2025 are nevertheless extremely worrying. The CRSS says that in the first three quarters of this year, over 2,400 fatalities were recorded, which means that “2025 could mark one of the deadliest years in a decade”.

Yet, despite the perturbing statistics, the sense of urgency to deal with the terrorist threat seems to be lacking within the corridors of power. This is so despite the fact that the country has lost a high number of troops and civilians. The state’s response is more reactive, going after militants after every deadly incident of terrorism. In fact, the state needs to defeat both major insurgencies — the TTP-led campaign in KP and the separatist movement in Balochistan. While inimical external forces that are supporting these insurgencies need to be dealt with on the diplomatic front, we very much need to raise our own level of preparedness too. Pakistan cannot go through endless cycles of terrorist violence, followed by security operations, only for the situation to deteriorate once again. A mix of kinetic and policy actions are needed to address the core issues fuelling both insurgencies. While there should be zero tolerance for terrorism, the socioeconomic and political issues that are often used to ‘justify’ these violent campaigns also need to be addressed by the state.

Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2025

Hope intercepted

THE interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla by Israel in international waters off Gaza has turned into a full-blown diplomatic and moral crisis. What intended to be a humanitarian mission — more than 40 civilian vessels delivering medical supplies and food to Gaza — has become an act of defiance met with mass detention. Among those arrested is former senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, who led Pakistan’s delegation aboard the flotilla. His detention underscores how deeply Pakistan is entwined in this struggle for humanitarian passage. Pakistan has demanded his immediate release, along with that of all detained activists, stressing that the flotilla carried nothing but essential aid and the hopes of a besieged people. According to flotilla organisers, about 443 activists, including Greta Thunberg, have been detained after Israeli forces boarded nearly all the vessels. Reportedly, just one evaded capture, temporarily entering Gaza territorial waters before communications went dead. Israel claims the detainees are in “good health” and will be deported to Europe.

The flotilla’s mission was never about confrontation — its vessels carried doctors, parliamentarians, activists, students and rights defenders. Yet Israel’s harsh response speaks to a posture that treats even food and medicine as threats. Footage released shows water cannon use, stun devices and activists being escorted under armed guard. This, at a time when the UN has confirmed that famine has already set in across parts of Gaza. The aid the flotilla carried was not symbolic; it was a lifeline. Governments and cities worldwide are reacting. South Africa is pressing for disclosure over the detention of Mandla Mandela, Nelson Mandela’s grandson. Italy’s unions have called a general strike; Colombia has expelled Israel’s diplomatic mission. Rights organisations call the raid illegal; legal scholars warn it sets a dangerous precedent — where delivering humanitarian relief is treated as an encroachment. Unless the detained are freed and a viable sea corridor to Gaza reopened, the message is clear: compassion, too, can be blockaded.

Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2025