Two Pakistani journalists – Ishtiaq Sodharo and Iftikhar Ahmed – were shot dead by unidentified assailants on 1 and 2 July, respectively.
Sodharo, a local reporter, was attacked in the Sindh province, while Ahmed, a prominent journalist, was murdered in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemned the killing of the two journalists and demanded security for working journalists from Pakistani authorities to safeguard press freedom.
“Pakistan’s government must take appropriate measures to ensure journalists’ safety and security, as required by law, and act to reduce assaults on journalists so that they may carry out their work without fear,” IFJ said.
What Happened?
According to eyewitnesses, Iftikhar Ahmed, a journalist associated with Daily Express, left the mosque after Isha prayer and was travelling to his office in Shakir Market on 2 July, when unidentified assailants fired at him and he was immediately dead, reported The Express Tribune.
Ahmed’s body was taken to the Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital Shabqadar and handed over to his next of kin after a post-mortem.
Ahmed’s brother, Hazrat Bilal, has filed an FIR at Shabqadar Police Station against the unidentified accused, a press release by the IFJ said
The motive behind the journalist’s murder is being investigated, the police said.
The motive behind the journalist’s murder is being investigated, the police said.
A day before Ahmed’s murder, on 1 July, Sodharo was shot dead in Kumb area of Khairpur, Sindh province.
Sodharo was a member of Ranipur Press Club and associated with Sindhi weekly Chinag. According to his wife, Imamuddin, a local police officer, ordered the attack against him. An FIR was filed on the same day at Kunb Police Station.
“Pir Bux, Saen Bux, Nabi Bux, Nazeer Hussain, and Zahid Hussain, allegedly attacked Sodhoro following an argument, with three of those identified arrested,” read the press note released by IFJ. However, Imamuddin is still at large, it added.
As per the ‘World Press Freedom Index 2022’ report published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Pakistan is ranked at 157 (145th in 2021) out of 180 countries while India is ranked at 150 (142nd in 2021).
