Pakistan: Journalist shot dead in Sindh's Mirpur Mathelo

Islamabad, Oct 7 A local journalist, Tufail Rind, was shot dead by armed assailants in Mirpur Mathelo area of Ghotki district in Pakistan's Sindh province on Wednesday while he was on his way to drop his children to school, local media reported citing police officials.

The shooting incident happened on the Jerwar Road near Maso Wah, when armed men riding a motorcycle opened fire at his car, Pakistan's leading daily Dawn reported, citing police press release.

"Rind died on the spot, while his children miraculously escaped unharmed," read the police statement. Witnesses said that the attackers fled from the spot after attacking Tufail Rind. Later, the police took the body to the District Headquarters Hospital of Mirpur Mathelo for medico-legal procedure.

Ghotki's Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Anwar Khetran has inspected the site of the incident and met with the victim’s family. He has assured victim's family that all the individuals involved in the act would be brought to justice, according to the statement. The police said that investigation is being conducted and evidence is being collected to find the motive behind the attack.

According to the relative of the victim, Rind was working with Mehran Newspaper and Royal News and also worked as an office-bearer of the Mirpur Mathelo Press Club. He had survived an earlier assassination attempt. Following the earlier attack, he had requested local administration to provide him security, however, no effective steps were taken in this regard.

Last month, journalists and rights activists expressed concerns regarding the rising restrictions on press freedom in Pakistan, with some comparing the present situation to the media censorship experienced during General Ziaul Haq’s military rule.

Journalists and rights activists highlighted these concerns during events held in Islamabad to pay tribute to Nisar Osmani and C R Shamsi, two veteran journalists and trade unionists, who fought for press freedom and journalists’ rights during martial law regimes, Dawn reported.

During a seminar at the National Press Club, current and former office-bearers of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) paid tribute to both the journalists and spoke about their struggle for a free press.

Another event was held outside the Dawn offices, where the journalists, lawmakers and rights activists held a candlelight vigil to pay tribute to Osmani and Shamsi. The speakers called for unity among journalists to collectively resist measures imposed by the government to suppress freedom of expression.

They also pledged to resist the restrictions imposed on media and continue the struggle against controversial laws like the recent amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca). The speakers highlighted the current situation of fear and intimidation was suppressing independent journalism as numerous reporters face harassment, abduction and assault for doing their work.

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