PFUJ calls for end to Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists
November 02, 2025: PFUJ urges Pakistan’s federal and provincial governments to end Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists and ensure their safety and press freedom.
JournalismPakistan.com | Published 9 years ago
Join our WhatsApp channel
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joined its affiliates the National Union of Journalists - India (NUJI) and the Indian Union of Journalists (IJU) in deploring the brutal murder of a journalist in Uttar Pradesh in northern India on Saturday, February 13.
The IFJ demanded urgent action from state and national governments to end a culture of violence against the media in the country. Last year six journalists were killed in the country, three of them in Uttar Pradesh state.
On Sunday, journalist Tarun Mishra, bureau chief of the Jan Sandesh Times, a Hindi newspaper in Sultanpur, in eastern Uttar Pradesh, was driving to Sultanpur with his uncle when two unidentified people on a motorcycle stopped the car and opened fire. Mishra was rushed to hospital but died on route. According to the Uttar Pradesh journalist union, Mishra was potentially targeted for his writings about illegal black market activities in Uttar Pradesh, sometimes referred to as the ‘mud mafia’
The chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav, has ordered the director general of police in Uttar Pradesh to form a specialist team to locate and arrest the culprits. He also announced 1 million Indian rupees (USD 14,700) compensation for Mishra’s family.
IJU president, SN Sinha, and secretary general, Amar Devulapalli, demanded an immediate inquiry be constituted and the perpetrators be brought to book as well as compensation.
The IJU further added: “The IJU express grave concern over the rise in crime against journalists and the unsafe environment that journalists in the State are working under. Mishra’s murder gives credence to the State earning the notorious reputation of stifling freedom of expression and silencing dissent.”
NUJI President Ras Bihari said: “The NUJI condemn this heinous act and demand from Uttar Pradesh Government to come forward to nab the culprits and make sure that the state should not become a killing field of journalists.”
The IFJ general secretary, Anthony Bellanger, said: “The state of the India’s media environment is becoming increasingly concerning when it comes to journalist safety. Immediate action is needed to stem the tide of violence particularly in Uttar Pradesh and Chattisgharh. We stand with our affiliates, NUJ(I) and IJU as they push for justice with state and national governments to ensure proper investigation into this latest attack and arrest Tarun Mishra’s killers.”
The IFJ welcomes the compensation offered by the Uttar Pradesh government and has also called on Mishra’s employer to give necessary support to his family.” - IFJ media release
Related posts from JournalismPakistan.com Archives:
Another journalist killed in India
Freelance journalist shot dead in India
Another journalist murdered in India
November 02, 2025: PFUJ urges Pakistan’s federal and provincial governments to end Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists and ensure their safety and press freedom.
November 02, 2025: Impunity for crimes against journalists deepens worldwide as Pakistan reports a 60 percent surge in attacks and weak enforcement of safety laws.
November 01, 2025: Pakistan Press Foundation reports 137 attacks on journalists in 2025, highlighting rising threats, legal harassment, and censorship on the International Day to End Impunity.
November 01, 2025: A viral Samaa TV clip featuring MNA Sher Afzal Marwat’s crude remarks and Talat Hussain’s laughter raises questions about the declining ethics of Pakistani television.
October 31, 2025: Police foiled a plot to kill DawnNewsTV journalist Tahir Naseer in Rawalpindi after arresting suspects hired for Rs200,000. Naseer says threats followed his reporting.
October 31, 2025: CPJ calls on Pakistan to bring Imtiaz Mir’s killers to justice after the journalist was allegedly murdered by a banned militant group in Karachi.
October 30, 2025: The PFUJ has condemned a fabricated drug case against journalist Matiullah Jan, calling it an attempt to silence him and urging authorities to quash the charges immediately.
October 30, 2025: NewsOne TV remains on air but faces mass layoffs and delayed salaries, exposing Pakistan’s worsening media crisis and financial instability.
November 02, 2025 Independent outlet All About Macau to halt print and online operations amid rising pressure, financial strain, and legal threats, sparking press freedom concerns in the city.
November 01, 2025 Belarus court jails journalist Siarhei Chabotska for extremism and defaming the president, highlighting Minsk’s ongoing crackdown on press freedom.
November 01, 2025 Mexican journalist Miguel Angel Beltran was found murdered in Durango. CPJ urges authorities to ensure justice amid rising violence against journalists in Mexico.
November 01, 2025 UNESCO survey finds one-third of media lawyers cannot effectively defend journalists due to threats, limited resources, and lack of specialization.
October 31, 2025 Radio Free Asia, a US government-funded broadcaster covering tightly controlled Asian media environments, has suspended all news operations after federal funding dried up.