ournalism is a dangerous professionin thePakistan-Afghan border region.

Journalists risk their lives to bring the latest news from conflict zones and maintain an impartial stance. However, they often lack institutional support. So far, 19 tribal journalists have lost their lives in the region since 2004. Many have been injured during the performance of their professional duties.

For many in the growing professional community, journalism is no longer just a vocation; they see it as their passion they will pursue even at great personal cost. However, they face increased risks while operating in areas controlled by warring factions.

Ehsanullah, from the Bajaur tribal district, says he has to support his aged parents and siblings. He has been in journalism for over 20 years without ever being formally employed by a media group. To meet the family expenses, he says, he also works for a used cars showroom. Like most tribal journalists, he is forced to juggle the two jobs. “When young graduates ask for my advice as a veteran journalist, I tell them to look elsewhere unless they already have an assured income from another source,” Ehsanullah says. Tribal reporters rarely have regular incomes. Instead, they are sometimes asked to help the publication by generating advertisement revenue. Sometimes they are set revenue targets and replaced for not meeting those. Often their ability to garner advertising revenue is valued more than their talent and commitment to quality reporting.

Ehsanullah’s daily routine includes digging stories, taking photos, editing videos and sending stories using his mobile phone. “We have professional talent but not the tools. Many of us lack even a basic camera.”

Ehsanullah and many others like him work without travel allowances, internet support or protective gear. Their professionalism is driven solely by their determination to continue reporting.Many critics of their work fail to see the sacrifices behind the effort. If there were a way to ensure that they were paid regularly, says Ehsan, tribal journalists could produce stories that match international standards.

Safeer Ahmad, a graduate from Abdul Wali Khan University, says he devoted five unpaid years to journalism but is still unable to meet his family’s needs from his journalism income. “I had a dream to become a renowned journalist with a suitable salary so that my children had the benefit of the best education education and healthcare,” Ahmad says. “I was dependent on my family, even for survival.” After receiving threats on account of his work, his family urged him to quit. Now he has a marketing job in Islamabad; his dream of becoming a great journalist lies quietly buried.

Muhammad Saleem, currently president of the Bajaur Press Club, shares a similar experience. After eight months of reporting for the state TV, he says, he was paid Rs 5,000. “That broke me,” he admits. He has been kidnapped twice by militants. On both occasions, his release was negotiated through tribal jirgas. Now, he avoids the kind of reporting that can put him in the harm’s way reporting,“unless absolutely necessary,” he adds.

Akmal Khan Qadri from Landi Kotal has been a journalist for 23 years.However, he has never received an official press card. “Every time I receive a threat, myinstitution fails to support me,” Qadri says. He says that some newspapers demand “security deposits” from their reporters but pay no salary or promise protection in return. “They treat us like agents, not professional reporters.” He also mentions that many of his stories were published under someone else’s name. “We risk our lives for exclusive stories but end up seeing someone else’s name on it,” he says. The media industry, he complains, prioritises profits over truth.The tribal journalists, he says, are treated as expendable.

Hasbanullah, president of the Tribal Union of Journalists, says that since 2004, 19 tribal journalists have been killed.In not a single case has there been successful prosecution. He adds that more than 200 reporters have fled the tribal areas due to the threats they receive on account of their work.Several have even left the country as well. He says that only about 1 percent of tribal journalists receive paymentsfor their work. The rest work without support and often without the assurance of protection.

Qazi Fazlullah, a senior journalist, recalls some of the dangers faced by journalists in the tribal areas. He says a journalist was kidnapped and killed and his wife and children were murdered after they sought justice in Waziristan. “Recently, a former president of the Landi Kotal Press Club, Khalil Jibran Afridi, was gunned down. His family too faced threats and had to leave the area. In this climate of fear, free and fair journalism is impossible,” says Fazlullah.

Despite legal provisions like the minimum wages and the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act, 2021, enforcement is weak. Media watchdogs and journalist unions report that 90 percent of tribal journalists do not have a regular income.

Over the past few years, Pakistan has seen an alarming increase in violence against journalists. There have been two killings within the last few weeks. Kamran Dawar, a digital journalist, was shot dead in North Waziristan on May 21. Three days later, Nasrullah Gadani, a journalist from Sindh, was shot on May 24. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Pakistan has consistently ranked among the most dangerous countries for journalists.

In addition to physical violence, the economic hardship faced by tribal journalists continues to escalate. They are often denied proper training, equipment and access to the tools they need to perform their jobs effectively. Many are forced to use personal mobile phones to file stories. This limits their ability to work efficiently. Travel allowances and internet support are scarce. This makes them vulnerable to both physical and financial insecurity.

Despite the dire conditions, journalists in tribal areas remain determined to report the truth. However, as the dangers mount and the economic pressures increase, many are forced to wonder how long they can continue to do so. The passion that drives them may not be enough to sustain a profession that demands so much but offers so little in return.

Pakistan’s tribal journalists face many challenges. They report from some of the most dangerous zones in the world, often without the proper resources, protection or compensation. Many of their stories, essential for public understanding of the situation, go untold due to fear of retaliation, financial pressures and lack of institutional support.

The situation for tribal journalists mirrors the broadchallenges faced by the media in Pakistan. The lack of protection for journalists, combined with economic hardship and constant threats to their safety, has created an environment where free journalism is increasingly difficult to sustain.

In recent years, the number of journalists killed has risen steadily. The rising violence against journalists, coupled with the economic exploitation they face, paints a bleak picture of the future of journalism in Pakistan, especially in the tribal areas.

As Pakistan’s media landscape continues to shrink under threats, harassment and censorship, it remains unclear how much longer journalists can continue to work under such dire conditions.

Their passion may be the only thing keeping many of these journalists going; it is clearly not a sustainable arrangement.

The writer is a freelance journalist and a social activist