Pakistan Endures Deadliest May for Journalists on Record Four Killed, Others Attacked

May 29, 2024 – Pakistan –

Pakistan suffered its deadliest month on record for journalists, with four media workers killed across diverse regions and several others assaulted, prompting urgent demands from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) for investigations and accountability.

On May 21, Nasrullah Gadani, a reporter for the Sindhi-language newspaper Awami Awaz, was shot in the abdomen in Kori Goth, Ghotki district, Sindh. He died three days later in Karachi. Known for his courageous reporting against feudal lords and local politicians, Gadani’s assassination sparked outrage. Police arrested three suspects, but investigations remain ongoing.

Also on May 21, Kamran Dawar, based in North Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was gunned down outside his home in Tappi village. While CPJ has yet to confirm whether the attack was related to his journalism, it intensified calls for a full investigation.

Earlier in May, two more journalists—Ashfaq Ahmad Sial in Punjab and Muhammad Siddique Mengal in Balochistan—were killed in separate incidents. Mengal, president of the Khuzdar Press Club, was killed by a roadside bomb in Khuzdar, highlighted by the Associated Press as part of repeated targeting of press members in “graveyard for journalists” regions.

In a related incident, Syed Iqrar ul Hassan, a prominent TV anchor from ARY News, and his crew were assaulted in Gujranwala on May 22, though their injuries were minor. CPJ emphasized this trend as part of a broader hostility toward the media.

These killings reflect one of the most perilous months for Pakistani journalists in decades. CPJ urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and national authorities to immediately investigate these killings, bring perpetrators to justice, and implement robust protections for press freedom at both national and local levels.

According to CPJ records, 64 journalists have been killed in Pakistan since 1992, making it a top entry on the CPJ Impunity Index. Advocacy groups highlight the urgent need for structural reforms: stronger legal protections, transparent investigations, and dismantling the culture of impunity that allows attacks to continue.

Pakistan’s press freedom ranking has declined to 152nd out of 180 countries, reflecting increasing threats, violence, and enforced censorship. Without swift action to secure journalists’ safety, cover-ups, and prosecutions, Pakistan risks extinguishing critical voices essential for public accountability and democratic discourse.

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4 journalists killed in Pakistan, others attacked, in May