Fearless reporting earns Asad Toor global recognition

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published last year |  JP Staff Report

ISLAMABAD—Prominent Pakistani journalist Asad Toor has been honored with the prestigious Dutch Human Rights Tulip Award for 2024. This accolade recognizes his fearless reporting on human rights issues in Pakistan, particularly in regions often ignored by mainstream media.

Toor took to Twitter to express his gratitude, writing: "Overwhelmed to share I’m awarded Dutch human rights #Tulip Award for 2024, immense gratitude @NLinPakistan ambassador @HennyFdeVries for the award and acknowledgment of my work. I have no words to express my feelings but I want to thank you everybody who stood by me, my friends, journalist colleagues, lawyers especially @ImaanZHazir and my family who stood by me and help me report fearlessly and keep surviving. This award is not only encouraging for me but also make me realise the responsibility I carry from now onwards in the journey of reporting on the marginalised, especially in #Balochistan, #KP and minorities across #Pakistan."

Toor is one of the few Pakistani journalists who persistently report on human rights abuses, political turbulence, and judicial challenges in the country, often at great personal risk. He has focused his work on amplifying the voices of marginalized communities in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and among Pakistan's minorities.

With a growing digital following, Toor has cultivated a significant audience on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), where he has 4.7k followers, and YouTube, where his channel boasts 306k subscribers. His popularity underscores his commitment to independent journalism in a media landscape often criticized for bias and agenda-driven narratives.

Toor’s recognition by the Dutch government highlights the international acknowledgment of the challenges faced by journalists in Pakistan and the critical importance of their work in exposing injustices and defending human rights.