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 11 years ago
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NEW YORK: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his remarks in connection with the World Press Freedom Day (May 3) says that each year "we reaffirm our commitment to the fundamental freedom to receive and impart information and ideas through any media, regardless of frontiers, enshrined in article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Yet every day of the year sees this right under assault, to the detriment of us all.
"Journalists are singled out for speaking or writing uncomfortable truths — kidnapped, detained, beaten and sometimes murdered. Such treatment is completely unacceptable in a world ever more reliant on global news outlets and the journalists who serve them," he said.
The following are his remaining remarks at the World Press Freedom Day (3 May) observance held in New York on Thursday:
In conflict areas, journalists often wear blue uniforms and helmets so that they can be easily identified and protected against attack. As we know from the United Nations’ own peacekeeping operations, the color blue provides no guarantee of safety.
Last year, 70 journalists were killed, many caught in the cross-fire of armed hostilities. Fourteen more have suffered the same fate this year. Last year, 211 journalists were being held in prison. Some 456 journalists have been forced into exile since 2008. And since 1992, well over 1,000 journalists have been killed — nearly one per week.
These are alarming figures. Behind each statistic stands a man or a woman simply going about their lawful business. There must be no impunity for those who target journalists for violence, intimidation or distorted uses of legal procedures to disrupt or impede their work.
Media freedoms must continue to be at the centre of our work to promote security, dignity and prosperity for all. Member States are deep in discussion about the post-2015 development agenda. This is a once-in-generation opportunity to steer the world in a more sustainable and equitable direction.
Free media, traditional and new, are indispensable for development, democracy and good governance. They can promote transparency about the new goals that Member States will adopt — progress as well as shortfalls.
Social media and mobile technologies offer new tools for accelerating citizen participation and economic and social progress. The media’s watchdog function is essential for holding governments, businesses and others to account.
On this World Press Freedom Day, I call on all governments, societies and individuals to actively defend this fundamental right as critical factors in achieving the Millennium Development Goals and advancing the post-2015 development agenda. Freedom of expression, independent media and universal access to knowledge will fortify our efforts to achieve lasting results for people and the planet.
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.