KARACHI: As 130 journalists lost their lives in Gaza due to Israeli bombings, (150 journalists killed in the last quarter century in Pakistan), PFUJ and the world is observing the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists on Saturday (2nd November, 2024).

In Pakistan, while 150 journalists were killed in the last 25 years, many paid the ultimate price in recent years for their reporting: Unanswered questions surround the murder of Arshad Sharif.

Journalist Abdul Aziz Memon was strangled to death in Sindh province. Tragically, his frantic appeals on social media for safety could not save his life. Memon’s body was found floating in a canal.

A local journalist Saeed Qaiser was found hanging in a building near Lahore. KTN Group journalist Zulfiqar Mandrani was gunned down in Jacobabad by unidentified assassins.

Social Media Activist Muhammad Zada Agra was gunned down in KPK for speaking against drug syndicates. Tragically he was killed a day after Pakistan’s National Assembly passed the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Bill.

Nazim Jokhio was abducted and killed for publishing a video of a foreigner poaching Houbara Bustard an endangered species.

Bureau Chief of Daily Ausaf in Swat Javaedullah Khan (who was also a local leader and member of peace committee) was shot dead. Baloch journalist Shahid Zehri, who aired reports exposing terrorists was killed in a blast planted in his vehicle. Another Baloch journalist Shaheena Shaheen was shot dead in gender based violence.

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2nd November as the ‘International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists’.

The Resolution urged Member States to implement definite measures countering the present culture of impunity.

This landmark resolution condemns all attacks and violence against journalists and media workers.

Ending impunity for crimes against journalists is one of the most important and complex challenges of recent times.

It is an essential precondition to guarantee freedom of expression and access to information for all citizens.

More than sixteen hundred journalists have been killed all over the world between 2006 and 2023. But nine out of ten cases of these murders remained unresolved.

The world must realize that impunity is not an option it leads to more killings and this is often a symptom of worsening conflict and the breakdown of law and judicial systems.

Journalists have a right to seek justice and safety.

The abuse by authorities and oppressors must end.

The observance seeks to raise awareness of the main challenges faced by journalists and communicators in the exercise of their profession, and to warn of the escalation of violence and repression against them.

In Pakistan hardly 4 % of journalist murders result in justice.

Sixty out of 63 cases of journalist murders (not including media workers ) have resulted in complete impunity.

These include attacks and restrictions on the press in the context of coverage of social protests; the use of judicial mechanisms against journalists for reasons related to their journalistic work on matters of public interest; and the increase of forced exile of journalists in some countries.

It has been observed that 78% of journalists were killed outside their work spaces.

Some journalists were murdered in the street or in their vehicles, and some were kidnapped to then be found dead.

There has been an increase in the number of women journalists killed.

Similarly there has been an increase of journalists killed while covering protests.

Newspakistan.tv