Latest news with #LatifBaloch
Business Recorder
3 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
CPJ demands probe into murder of journalist
NEW YORK: Pakistani authorities must immediately investigate the May 24 killing of journalist Latif Baloch in Balochistan and ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said Tuesday. 'Pakistani authorities must immediately investigate the reasons behind Latif Baloch's killing and determine whether it was linked to his work as a journalist,' said Beh Lih Yi, CPJ's Asia regional director. 'Journalists in Pakistan face growing violence and intimidation from both state and non-state actors. The government must ensure the safety and freedom of journalists in Balochistan and across the country.' Baloch was affiliated with some major media outlets. Balochistan police Inspector General, Moazzam Jah Ansari, did not respond to CPJ's request for comment via messaging app.
Arab News
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Gunmen kill journalist in southwestern Pakistan
QUETTA: Unknown armed men stormed a house in Balochistan's Awaran district in the early hours of Saturday and killed a journalist working for a mainstream news channel and a local newspaper, a Levies official said. The killing took place in Mashkay, a remote town in the mountainous Awaran district, regarded as a stronghold of Baloch separatist groups, particularly the Baloch Liberation Front (BLF). Balochistan, Pakistan's largest but least developed province, is home to a separatist insurgency led by ethnic Baloch groups, which Islamabad accuses of being backed by India. New Delhi denies the allegation. Earlier this month, Pakistan blamed India for a deadly attack on a school van in Khuzdar district that killed eight people, including six schoolchildren. Zulqarnain Baloch, a Levies official in Mashkay, told Arab News that unidentified gunmen entered journalist Latif Baloch's house at 3 a.m. and shot him dead while he was asleep with his family. 'The attackers only targeted him,' he said, adding: 'Motives behind the murder are being investigated.' According to the Press Freedom Network, an advocacy organization for media rights in Pakistan, 53 journalists were killed in the country between 2012 and 2022. Hameedullah Sherani, the network's provincial coordinator in Balochistan, said journalists in the province face serious threats while carrying out their work. 'Journalists in Balochistan have been working under threats by the state and non-state actors,' he said. 'More than 40 journalists in Balochistan have lost their lives in the line of duty over the last two decades.' The Balochistan Union of Journalists (BUJ) strongly condemned the killing and called for a high-level investigation. 'The provincial government must arrest the attackers behind the killing of Latif Baloch,' said Khalil Ahmed, BUJ president. 'Journalists are already facing severe threats in the sensitive region of Balochistan. The government has to take immediate action for the safety of working journalists.' No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, remains one of Pakistan's most dangerous regions for journalists.
