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
Haji Mohammad Zubair Khaksar (pictured), a correspondent for the government-run Nangarhar TV and Radio network, in Surkhrod district, was shot dead by unidentified assailants as he was returning returning home from a private gathering on January 29. According to reports, Khaksar had received threats from Daesh.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joined its affiliate the Afghanistan Independent Journalists Association (AIJA) in condemning the murder and urged the Afghanistan government to immediately investigate the killing, and take immediate steps to secure the safety of the media community in Afghanistan.
There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the attack on Khaksar, a well-known poet and also a cultural advisor to the provincial governor, Saleem Khan Kundozi. Khahsar’s murder comes after Daesh had been broadcasting threatening messages for journalists in Nangarhar on, its ‘Voice of the Caliphate’ radio in Nangarhar.
The AIJA has strongly condemned the attack and urged Afghan officials to investigate the killing and arrest the killers as soon as possible.
The AIJA said: “The killing of Khaksar is a big loss to the journalism community in Afghanistan. The continued attacks on Afghan media in January 2016 have made the AIJA very concerned on journalists’ security, as well as free and independent journalism.”
Eight journalists have already been killed in Afghanistan this year, following the suicide attack on a bus carrying TOLO TV staff, which killed 7 staff members.
IFJ general secretary, Anthony Bellanger said: “We strongly condemn the killing of journalist Zubair Khaksar in Nangarhar province of Afghanistan. Mr Khaksar is now the eighth journalist killed in Afghanistan in the first month of 2016. The IFJ strong criticises the deterioration of safety conditions for journalists and media workers in Afghanistan, and demands immediate action from local and national governments. Journalists must be safe to ensure they can freely report.” - IFJ press release
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.