Pakistan Fails to Deliver Justice in Journalist Murders Despite Repeated Promises

Despite repeated assurances from Pakistani authorities to strengthen protections for journalists and prosecute those responsible for crimes against them, impunity for journalist murders remains pervasive, according to a new international investigation by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Free Press Unlimited (FPU), and Reporters Without Borders (RSF). The case of slain reporter Shan Dahar — unsolved more than a decade after his killing — underscores the systemic failures in investigations and lack of political will that continue to leave perpetrators free and families without justice.

Shan Dahar, a Pakistani journalist known for documenting local issues, including allegations of corruption in healthcare, was shot dead on January 1, 2014 in front of a health clinic where he had been filming and photographing. An 18-month collaborative investigation by CPJ, FPU, and RSF uncovered new video and photographic evidence showing Dahar’s final movements that were never properly examined by authorities. The probe also found that the official inquiry was riddled with police misconduct, extortion of suspects, and coerced witness statements, and that authorities ignored clear investigative leads tied to Dahar’s reporting.

The investigative report, released in January 2026 under the “A Safer World for the Truth” initiative, condemned the persistent impunity around journalist murders in Pakistan. According to data referenced in the investigation, between 2012 and 2022, 53 journalists were killed across the country, yet convictions were secured in only a small fraction of cases — a 96 percent impunity rate. These statistics illustrate how few murder cases result in accountability, despite Pakistani officials’ repeated public commitments to press freedom and protections.

The coalition of press freedom organisations urged Pakistani authorities — including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif — to intensify collaboration with independent civil society groups, reopen investigations, and arrest absconding suspects, particularly in Dahar’s case. It also called for effective enforcement of Pakistan’s 2021 law on journalist safety and transparent monitoring of cases going forward.

Analysts say that Dahar’s unsolved murder is emblematic of a broader crisis of accountability for crimes targeting journalists, where systemic shortcomings and political inertia have repeatedly stalled justice. As such, advocates maintain that meaningful reform and cooperation with independent monitors are essential to break the long-standing cycle of impunity that continues to endanger journalists in Pakistan.