Sindh Police arrest four suspects in journalist Imtiaz Mir murder case
October 28, 2025: Sindh Police arrested four suspects linked to a banned outfit in the murder of journalist Imtiaz Mir, who was shot in Karachi in September 2025.
JournalismPakistan.com | Published 7 years ago
Join our WhatsApp channel
Amid the growing political crisis in the Maldives, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) have expressed deep concern over ongoing restrictions and threats to media and press freedom in the Maldives, and called on authorities to allow media to carry out work without reprisal.
The three international press freedom organizations jointly condemned the ongoing threats to shut down media organizations in the name of national security during the country’s current political crisis and its declaration of a state of emergency. The media in the Maldives are enduring unprecedented restrictions, making it impossible to bring out necessary independent or critical reporting in the public interest.
Maldivian President Abdullah Yameen declared a 15-day state of emergency on February 5, after the country’s Supreme Court ordered the release of opposition political leaders and reinstated 12 suspended Member of Parliaments on February 1. The order effectively put President Yameen’s government in a minority. In a move directly threatening the independence of the judiciary, the government refused to respect the Court’s orders and subsequently arrested the Chief Justice and another judge. After this action, the remaining judges annulled the original order.
Two journalists working for the Agence France-Presse, Indian photographer Money Sharma, and British videographer Atish Patel, were arrested on February 9. One day earlier, the Ministry of Defense and National Security warned of action on parties found to have brought forward content impacting national security without a prior notice. The statement added that live shows and programs on media could “create chaos, confusion in public and create discord within the society”.
Following the warning, the opposition-aligned Raajje TV suspended its regular broadcast ‘due to increased harassment, threats and intimidation’ and ‘unsafe environment for journalists to report freely and independently, and without fear’. It also said the Maldives Police withdrew security provided to the station, which has weathered several attacks in the past.
On February 4, the deputy leader of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), Abdul Raheem Abdullah, called on the security forces to immediately shut down Raajje TV, accusing it of giving airtime to the opposition leaders.
Police also questioned journalists at the news websites Avas and Mihaaru on February 1 after the sites published a statement issued by the Maldives jailed former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb. The Maldives Broadcasting Commission (MBC) and the Maldives Correctional Service (MCS), on February 2, issued separate notices warning against broadcasting content “threatening national security”.
These restrictions come after the Maldivian media has already been forced to exercise the high level of self-censorship due to the draconian Anti-Defamation and Freedom of Expression Act.
The IFJ, RSF, and CPJ reaffirmed that amidst the ongoing political turmoil in the Maldives, it is critical for the media to report freely and without fear to ensure the public access to credible information. However, the level of threat to the media by the state agencies is dangerously high, making it impossible to ensure independent journalism. The current state of threats and repression directed at the media in the Maldives violate critical international standards of democracy and rule of law.
All threats and harassment to media in the Maldives should immediately stop and the state should act to ensure the safety and security of media and journalists.
We urge the Maldives to immediately take measures to ensure freedom of the press and safety of the media and journalists allowing them to report freely and without fear of prosecution or other consequences during this critical time for the Maldives democracy. – IFJ media release
October 28, 2025: Sindh Police arrested four suspects linked to a banned outfit in the murder of journalist Imtiaz Mir, who was shot in Karachi in September 2025.
October 26, 2025: Riffat Ara Alvi, the mother of slain Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif, has died, ending her relentless fight for justice following his killing in Kenya in 2022.
October 25, 2025: Veteran journalists and rights activists urge authorities to quash the fabricated drug case against Matiullah Jan, calling it an attack on media freedom.
October 24, 2025: PTV journalist Najam Wali Khan faces social media backlash after calling late SP Adeel Akbar a coward and a fool following his alleged suicide in Islamabad.
October 24, 2025: JournalismPakistan.com celebrates 16 years of independent reporting and media insight. Founded in 2009, the platform has weathered censorship, cyberattacks, and financial pressures to remain a trusted space for all who love and follow the media.
October 23, 2025: PFUJ calls for the immediate appointment of an ITNE judge, warning of a serious case backlog affecting journalists and media workers seeking justice across Pakistan.
October 21, 2025: 92 News apologizes to Maryam Nawaz for falsely claiming she bought a Toshakhana watch at Rs45,000, correcting the misinformation aired in 2022.
October 20, 2025: Fake news falsely claimed Ishrat Fatima’s death, sparking outrage. Colleagues condemn digital misinformation and honor her enduring legacy.
October 30, 2025 India’s government has proposed strict new rules mandating the labelling of AI-generated and deepfake media to curb misinformation and ensure content authenticity on social platforms.
October 30, 2025 Vietnamese authorities seize BBC journalist’s passport amid interrogation, sparking outrage as Hanoi leader To Lam visits the UK. Rights groups urge her release.
October 30, 2025 CDEPS and CPJ condemn the arrest of 7TV’s Maimouna Ndour Faye and other journalists in a late October crackdown on Senegalese media over interviews with a wanted politician.
October 29, 2025 In a historic first, a Bishkek court declares Kloop, Temirov Live, and their founders extremist, marking Kyrgyzstan’s sharpest assault on press freedom under President Japarov.
October 29, 2025 Babar Azam's form slump reveals a psychological battle between classical artistry and modern cricket demands. Inside the mind of Pakistan's maestro, struggling to rediscover flow.