https://cpj.org/2018/01/pakistani-journalist-taha-siddiqui-escapes-kidnapp.php

On January 10th, Pakistani journalist Taha Siddiqui was confronted by a group of men while on the way to the airport in a taxi. Because Taha Siddiqui has been a critic of the Pakistani military, there is reason to believe that his attempted kidnapping is in relation to his views of the military and the government. This is a rather wild example of what can occur in countries where freedom of expression is not protected. The article was published by CPJ, or the Committee to Protect Journalists, which is interesting because it is an example of a Western institution/group that works to assist journalists in countries where they may be targeted by the government for expressing their opinion. It is obvious from this example that the Pakistani military, and possibly the Pakistani government in general, has the ability to essentially track down and persecute journalists that portray it in a negative way. It will be interesting to see if this case is addressed in the near future or if the military/government is not held responsible for such actions. Even if this specific case is extreme, it is interesting to see that something like an attempted abduction of a journalist can occur in a country that is considered relatively free in terms of day to day life and news media. It raises the debate that the government/military in Pakistan holds too much control over the type of news being distributed. If government agents are attempting physical harm to a journalist on the street, what are they willing/able to do online where it is easier to censor or block the views of journalists and citizens using digital media?

Help Received: CPJ article – link provided