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 8 years ago
Join our WhatsApp channel
NEW YORK - Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency should stop harassing Taha Siddiqui, Pakistan bureau chief for World Is One News, a New Delhi-based news website, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday.
Officials from the FIA, last night delivered a summons ordering the journalist to appear for questioning at its counter-terrorism department, despite a court’s order that they cease harassing him, Siddiqui told CPJ.
Siddiqui told CPJ that his lawyer represented him at the FIA, but that officials did not tell the lawyer why they were summoning the journalist, beyond that it was for questioning, and that Siddiqui was not yet charged with a crime.
The summons followed a May 23 ruling from the Islamabad High Court restraining the FIA from harassing Siddiqui in response to the journalist’s petition, according to Siddiqui and the newspaper Dawn. The newspaper reported that FIA Deputy Director Noman Bodla on May 18 called Siddiqui to ask him to appear for questioning and that Bodla hinted the agency’s interest was related to his journalistic work. The court is scheduled to reconvene on May 29, according to Siddiqui and media reports.
“Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency should abide by the Islamabad High Court’s order to stop harassing journalist Taha Siddiqui,” Steven Butler, CPJ’s Asia Program Coordinator, said from Washington, D.C. “Pakistani security forces should not use terrorism as a pretext for targeting journalists.”
The FIA did not respond to a request for comment CPJ emailed yesterday, and the FIA’s Bodla did not respond to CPJ’s phone call.
“[By] visiting my residence post-work hours while I’m not there and insisting on delivering this to me without explaining why they want me to come to a counter-terrorism investigation, the FIA, Interior Ministry, and Pakistan government is continuing to harass, intimidate, and silence free speech and independent journalism,” Siddiqui told CPJ.
Siddiqui said he plans to attend the high court hearing on May 29. – Committee to Protect Journalists/Image: Twitter (@TahaSSiddiqui)
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.