PFUJ recalls November 3, 2007 emergency as Pakistan’s darkest day
November 03, 2025: PFUJ recalls November 3, 2007, as Pakistan’s darkest day under Musharraf, urging protection for journalists and the abolition of laws threatening press freedom.
JournalismPakistan.com | Published last year | JP Staff Reporter
Join our WhatsApp channel
ISLAMABAD—In a heart-wrenching interview on the Naya Pakistan channel, Javeria Siddiqui, the widow of the late journalist Arshad Sharif revealed shocking details about the torture and murder of her husband. She recounted the chilling threats Sharif received while in Pakistan, warning him that he would be shot in the head.
When Sharif's body was returned from Kenya, the extent of his brutal treatment became horrifyingly clear. According to his widow, the body bore 18 to 19 marks of torture, with visible evidence that he had been shot in the head and from the back. Furthermore, four of his nails were missing, one of his kidneys had been removed, some ribs were broken, and part of his skull was missing. Postmortem stitches were also evident on his body.
Speaking through tears, Sharif's widow expressed her agony, saying, "It would have been better if wives would die before their husbands." She also raised concerns about the location of the brutal acts, uncertain whether the kidney was removed in Kenya or Pakistan, noting that the perpetrators were present in both places.
Sharif was tragically murdered in Kenya nearly two years ago. Last week, a Kenyan High Court judge ordered legal action against the police officers involved in Sharif’s killing and awarded Rs21.67 million to the family. The court's ruling labeled the police firing as a human rights violation and mandated a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the journalist's death.
November 03, 2025: PFUJ recalls November 3, 2007, as Pakistan’s darkest day under Musharraf, urging protection for journalists and the abolition of laws threatening press freedom.
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.
November 03, 2025 Global journalist unions condemn the Indonesian agriculture minister’s lawsuit against Tempo, calling it a threat to press freedom and demanding that the case be withdrawn.
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.