CPJ calls on Pakistan to prosecute killers of journalist Imtiaz Mir

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published last month |  CPJ News Alert

The Committee to Protect Journalists urges Pakistan to swiftly prosecute suspects in the killing of Metro 1 News host Imtiaz Mir, allegedly targeted for his Israel reporting.

Summary

NEW YORK—The Committee to Protect Journalists urges authorities in Pakistan to swiftly investigate and prosecute the suspected killers of journalist Imtiaz Mir, who was allegedly murdered by a banned militant group in connection to his reporting on Israel.

“Authorities in Pakistan must hold those responsible for killing Imtiaz Mir accountable and send a clear message they are serious about tackling impunity,” said CPJ’s Asia-Pacific Director Beh Lih Yi. “Imtiaz Mir’s murder underscores how vulnerable journalists in Pakistan are to threats and attacks. The trend of journalist killings, particularly in Sindh province, is deeply troubling.”

Mir, who hosted “Aaj Ki Baat with Imtiaz Mir” on the independent Metro 1 News channel, was returning home on September 21 when gunmen on two motorcycles pulled alongside his vehicle and opened fire in Karachi’s Malir district, according to multiple news reports.

The journalist sustained multiple gunshot wounds and died eight days later after surgery at Liaquat National Hospital. His older brother, Mohammed Salih, was also wounded in the attack.

Sindh Province Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar announced on October 27 that four suspects had been arrested in connection with the journalist’s murder, following raids by police and intelligence services in Karachi.

Police named the men as Ajlal Zaidi, Shahab Asghar, Ahsan Abbas, and Faraz Ahmed, all of whom were identified as members of militant group Lashkar Sarullah, news reports said. At a press conference, Lanjar said the suspects were taking orders from a ringleader abroad, without elaborating.

Lashkar Sarullah is an offshoot of the Zaynabiyoun Brigade, an Iran-backed Shiite militant group designated by the United States as a terrorist organization in 2019 and banned in Pakistan last year.

Pakistani officials said the group targeted Mir because of a trip he took to Israel and his perceived sympathies for the nation, according to news reports.

In 2023, Mir visited Israel as part of a delegation of journalists. After returning, he invited Israel-based guests to appear on his talk show, according to two journalists in Karachi who spoke to CPJ anonymously for fear of reprisal.

Sindh province Inspector General of Police Ghulam Nabi Memon did not respond to CPJ’s text message requesting comment.

Since 1992, CPJ has documented 75 journalists and media workers killed in Pakistan in connection with their work.