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January 22, 2026 – Pakistan –
Press freedom organisations and media analysts have sharply criticised Pakistan’s ongoing failure to deliver justice in the murders of journalists, highlighting structural impunity that has left many killings unresolved for decades and repeatedly undermined official pledges to protect media workers. Recent investigations and reporting by rights groups underline a stark pattern: journalist murders frequently go unpunished, illustrating entrenched weaknesses in legal follow-through and political will.
A new international investigation — conducted under the coalition A Safer World for the Truth, which includes Free Press Unlimited, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) — revisited the **2014 shooting death of journalist Shan Dahar in Sindh province, near the Badah Press Club. Dahar was killed while filming a report on alleged medical trafficking, and 12 years later, his killers remain free and the case unresolved, despite a pledge by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in late 2025 to improve investigations into journalist murders.
The coalition’s inquiry uncovered systemic flaws in the original investigation, including police misconduct, coerced witness statements, and ignored leads, as well as an apparent lack of accountability for key figures potentially linked to the crime scene. Rights researchers noted that critical evidence was never analysed and that authorities pursued ineffective investigative strategies, eroding the chances of ever holding perpetrators to account.
The Dahar case is emblematic of a broader impunity crisis in Pakistan: according to local reporting and rights documentation, at least 98 journalists’ murders dating back to 1992 remain unsolved, with families and press associations still seeking justice for slain reporters. Many of these deaths occurred in contexts where journalists were targeted because of their work covering corruption, conflict, or political issues — yet the vast majority have never led to convictions.
Press freedom defenders stress that justice for Dahar and others is not only about addressing a single case: it goes to the core of journalists’ safety and Pakistan’s democratic resilience. CPJ and partner organisations have noted that the country remains one of the world’s most dangerous places for journalists, where killing a reporter has become “one of the safest crimes” due to chronic impunity. They are urging authorities to reopen investigations, enforce existing safety laws, and work with civil society for transparent monitoring and prosecutions.
The continued spotlight on these unresolved murders comes as Pakistani press freedom advocates demand concrete action rather than rhetoric, warning that without credible legal processes and accountability, impunity will persist, emboldening further attacks and eroding public confidence in the rule of law.
Reference –
https://www.journalismpakistan.com/pakistan-faces-renewed-scrutiny-over-unsolved-journalist-murders/
