Geneva: Expressing deep dismay over the continued killings of journalists in Pakistan, the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), a global media safety and rights organization, has called on the highest government authority in Islamabad to investigate these cases thoroughly and bring the perpetrators to justice. Pakistan, currently grappling with an internal economic and socio-political crisis, recorded its eighth journalist casualty this year with the murder of Malik Hassan Zaib on Sunday, July 14, 2024.
Makrand Deouskar Assumes Charge As IG Of BSF Guwahati Frontier
Malik Hassan Zaib, associated with the Peshawar-based Urdu daily newspaper Aaj, was shot dead in Nowshera, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, while driving his car. He was a member of the Peshawar Press Club, which, along with fellow journalists, organized a protest on Monday demanding justice. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur condemned the assassination and directed police to apprehend the culprits. The Rural Media Network Pakistan and Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists also condemned the killing and called for compensation for Zaib’s family.
Assam Government Declares Special Leave For Employees
PEC President Blaise Lempen highlighted that Zaib is the 71st journalist murdered globally this year. Lempen emphasized the need for both federal and provincial governments in Pakistan to take serious action against the perpetrators and end the culture of impunity for such crimes. PEC’s South and Southeast Asia representative, Nava Thakuria, noted that seven other Pakistani journalists have been killed this year, underscoring the dire situation for media professionals in the region.
