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Pakistan continues to remain "one of the most dangerous countries" for journalists. It has been ranked fifth in the list of countries where press freedom remains under threat, according to a report by Reporters Without Borders, New Pakistan reported.
The report said that 93 journalists have been killed in Pakistan since 2003. "Pakistan's position on this list is a moment of humiliation for our leaders and a testament to its weak democracy. It falls in the list of countries where no war is officially taking place, but where the situation is still not safe for reporters," the report of New Pakistan said while quoting an editorial in Dawn. As per the New Pakistan report, journalists in Pakistan have been killed by militants, insurgents, and "unidentified state actors." The report further stated, "The common thread in these killings is that truth and justice are elusive, and killers walk free while families look in vain for answers." Citing the death of journalist Arshad Sharif, the report said that his killing in Kenya under mysterious circumstances shows the "chilling reality" that "Pakistani journalists and dissidents are not safe from threats even outside the country." Arshad Sharif was shot dead in Kenya's Nairobi city on October 23 in 2022, The Express Tribune reported. Sharif's death left rights organisations, the media fraternity, and civil society shocked and they called for an investigation into the matter. On January 5, a five-member larger bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Umar Ata Bandial carried out the hearing of the suo motu case over Arshad Sharif's murder, according to The Express Tribune report. Before the hearing, Islamabad police presented the progress report of the joint investigation team to the court and the judges' chamber. During an earlier hearing, the Chief Justice of Pakistan praised the report of the fact-finding committee, comprising two senior officers of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Intelligence Bureau (IB), for revealing facts about the case, as per the news report. According to the fact-finding committee's report, the murder of Arshad Sharif was a "planned and targeted assassination" by transnational characters and not a case of mistaken identity, as claimed by the police in Kenya, according to The Express Tribune. Meanwhile, Arshad Sharif's wife Samia Arshad has expressed reservations against members of the joint investigation team (JIT) at the Supreme Court, as per the news report. Samia Arshad said that two of the JIT members were the subordinates of the accused in the case and further stated that did not trust them. (ANI)
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