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The threat to the lives of working journalists in Pakistan is increasing by the day. This year alone, 10 journalists have been murdered across the country.
May has been the deadliest month, with four journalists killed in different cities.
Pakistan currently ranks 152nd out of 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders’ (RSF) 2024 World Press Freedom Index. With these recent incidents, its ranking is unlikely to improve.
Yesterday, senior journalist Nisar Lehri was shot dead in the Gulkand area of Mastung, Balochistan. He was the press secretary of the Sarawan Press Club. Lehri was returning home when assailants opened fire, killing him on the spot. The police have attributed his killing to a tribal clash over a land dispute.
This incident follows the killing of another journalist, Bachal Ghuniyo, just weeks ago in Ghotki, Sindh. An employee of Awaz TV, Ghuniyo was shot and killed by dacoits in the riverine area of Rounti on August 26.
Earlier, on June 18, unidentified gunmen killed senior journalist Khalil Jibran of Khyber News TV in Khyber district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Jibran was traveling with friends when their vehicle was ambushed. Two men dragged him out of the car and opened fire, leaving him dead at the scene.
In the same month, YouTuber Saad Ahmed was shot dead in Karachi while creating content. He had an altercation with a security guard outside a mall, which ended in the guard fatally shooting him.
Local journalist Malik Hassan Zaib was shot dead by unknown assailants in Nowshera district, KP on June 14. Zaib, a reporter for Daily Aaj, was attacked while going to the store with his brother.
On May 25, journalist Nasrullah Gadani succumbed to his injuries after being shot by armed assailants on May 21 in Mirpur Mathelo, Ghotki, Sindh. Gadani, who worked for Awami Awaz, was known for his bold reporting against local feudal lords and political figures.
The same day Gadani was attacked, young digital journalist Kamran Dawar was shot dead outside his residence in Miranshah, North Waziristan. Kamran was known for reporting on social issues in the area through his Facebook and YouTube channels.
A few days prior to that, on May 15, Daily Khabrain journalist Mehar Ashfaq Siyal was shot multiple times while traveling near Muzaffargarh in Punjab. Two men on a motorcycle ambushed and fatally shot him in the stomach.
On May 3, Muhammad Siddique Mengal, president of the Khuzdar Press Club, was killed in the Khuzdar district of Balochistan after an explosive device was planted in his vehicle. The explosion also claimed two other lives.
Earlier, in March 2024, two more journalists were killed. On March 14, journalist Sagheer Ahmed Laar, a correspondent for Daily Khabrain, was shot dead while inside a pharmacy in Khanpur, Punjab.
On March 11, the mutilated body of female print journalist Tahira Nosheen Rana was found near a park in Jhelum, northern Punjab. Her post-mortem report revealed multiple stab wounds and signs of acid burns.
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