Press Emblem Campaign Demands Urgent Justice for Ruthlessly Slain Pakistani Journalists
The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), a global organization advocating for media safety and rights, has called on Islamabad’s highest authorities to investigate the persistent killing of journalists in Pakistan and ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice.
Pakistan, already grappling with severe economic and socio-political instability, lost its eighth journalist in 2024 on July 14. Malik Hassan Zaib, affiliated with the Urdu daily “Aaj,” was shot dead by assailants in Nowshera, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while driving. A member of the Peshawar Press Club, Zaib’s death sparked a protest by fellow journalists demanding justice.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur condemned the murder and ordered law enforcement to apprehend the culprits. Local media bodies, including Rural Media Network Pakistan and the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, urged the government to provide adequate compensation to Zaib’s family and condemned the violent act.
PEC President Blaise Lempen stated that Zaib’s murder marks the 71st journalist killing globally since January 1. He emphasized the need for federal and provincial governments in Pakistan to address the murders seriously and dismantle the culture of immunity surrounding these crimes.
In a related matter, Lempen expressed relief that a Kenyan court had awarded $78,000 in compensation to the widow of Arshad Sharif, a notable Pakistani journalist mistakenly killed by Kenyan police in 2022.
According to PEC’s south and southeast Asia representative Nava Thakuria, other Pakistani journalists slain this year include Khalil Afridi Jibran, Nasrullah Gadani, Kamran Dawar, Mehar Ashfaq Siyal, Maulana Mohammad Siddique Mengal, Jam Saghir Ahmad Lar, and Tahira Nosheen Rana. Additionally, India witnessed the killing of TV journalist Ashutosh Shrivastava in Uttar Pradesh on May 13, and Myanmar lost Ko Myat Thu Tun to military violence during this period.
PEC’s appeals are a stark reminder of the ongoing threats faced by journalists worldwide, underscoring the urgent need for accountability and protection for media professionals.
Original Story https://www.indiatodayne.in/international/story/press-emblem-campaign-demands-justice-over-killing-of-pakistani-journalists-1050097-2024-07-15?utm_source=rssfeed
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