Strangling Liberty Media in Distress in Pakistan

Strangling Liberty: Media in Distress in Pakistan makes an attempt to trace the history of media during the last 66 years that shows as to how tremendous pressure simultaneously stemming from diverse dimensions in the form of extremists' command on one end and state repressions on the other, ideological constraints, international power game, ethno-religious overtones, and most importantly, the role of Secret Agencies including Inter-services Intelligence and other military tyrannies, have geared up the issue relating to the oppression of freedom of media in Pakistan an international hot topic for debate. Pakistan has emerged as one of the most unsafe countries for journalists, claiming at least 118 lives of the working journalists in the recent past. The critique provides an insight into the hostile environment in which the media personnel in Pakistan are undertaking their professional responsibilities and fighting for their legitimate rights at the crossroads of extremist outfits.

Riaz Ahmed Shaikh, Ph. D., a political sociologist and the Head, Social Sciences at Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology, Karachi intensely researched the role of the media and the impediments the working journalists in Pakistan have been experiencing. Riaz is the managing editor of the Asia Journal of Global Studies, Osaka, Japan. His much-acclaimed publication is Back from the Brink: India-Pakistan Ties Revisited. One of his research papers, Pakistani Military Role in Asia Context has been chosen as 'Outstanding Author Contribution Award Winner' by thee Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence 2010.