“Reporters Without Borders” (RSF), one of the most credible journalism watchdogs, raises serious concerns for the safety of a missing TV anchor Imran Riaz Khan and urges Pakistan’s civilian government to uphold the rule of law by immediately disclosing his whereabouts and the conditions of his detention.
Imran Riaz Khan, a prominent journalist has been missing since the police detained him on May 11 at Sialkot International Airport. He was taken into custody under a preventative violence order as a result of huge protests following the arrest of the former prime minister Imran Khan.
Daniel Bastard of global watchdog Reporters Without Borders claimed that “According to confidential diplomatic sources consulted by RSF, the government’s silence about the TV anchor’s fate suggests that he may have fared badly since his abduction and may even have died in detention.”
Wali Khan Babar, a journalist working for Geo News, was shot dead in Karachi on January 13, 2011. He was known for his reporting on crime and violence in Karachi. His killing sparked outrage and highlighted the risks faced by journalists covering sensitive topics.
Saleem Shahzad, a journalist known for his investigative reporting, was abducted and killed in May 2011. His body was found two days after his disappearance.
Hamid Mir, a prominent journalist and television anchor, survived an assassination attempt in April 2014. He was shot multiple times while traveling in a car in Karachi.
Aftab Alam, a journalist working for a local television channel, was shot in Karachi in September 2014. He had been receiving threats before his killing due to his reporting on criminal activities.
Arshad Sharif, the top investigative journalist, was assassinated in late October when police opened fire on his automobile outside Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. Nairobi police eventually apologized for the incident, explaining that it had been a case of “mistaken identity” while looking for a similar automobile connected to a case of kidnapping. However, the mystery behind the case remains intact.
The case of Imran Riaz Khan has sparked another debate regarding the safety of journalists in Pakistan and claims made by ‘Reporters Without Borders’ is shocking, to say the least.
Why has the storey not mentioned the name of journalists like Musakhan Khel and many others killed in the environment created by the so-called war on terror?
One who kills a man illogically,will have to incur the burden of killing the whole human race.