Pakistan most dangerous country for journalists, says Hamid Mir

Pakistan has become the most dangerous country in the world for journalists, said a senior Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir on Friday and added that state machinery has failed to protect scribes for raising facts and highlighting public issues.

"The government does not want factual news, but wants news only in its favour in the media," Mir said while addressing a gathering held to mark the 13th death anniversary of journalist Musa Khankhel.

Hamid Mir said that when the journalist community was observing the death anniversary of Musa Khankhel, another journalist Ather Mateen was shot dead in Karachi, the Dawn newspaper reported.

Ather Mateen was shot dead on Friday in an armed attack on his car in Karachi's North Nazimabad area. The private TV channel's senior producer was assassinated at the main thoroughfare in North Nazimabad, Geo News reported.

Last year, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International had raised concern about the growing pressure on journalists who criticize the Pakistan government.

They had asked the Pakistan government to conduct prompt, impartial and effective investigations into the recent number of attacks on journalists.

They also asked the government should rescind official policies that protect the authorities from criticism and instead promote space for public debate and free expression.

( With inputs from ANI )

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