Nawaz Sharif's govt. faces urgent calls to address violence against journalists

The new government of Pakistan has faced urgent calls to address the country's appalling record of violence against journalists.

The Committee to Protect Journalists has said in a major new report that a total of 23 journalists were murdered in the past decade, with not a single conviction, reports The Independent.

The CPJ's Asia programme coordinator Bob Dietz said that the government, military and intelligence officials are suspected of involvement in at least seven journalist murders in the past decade.

He said the newly elected government led by Nawaz Sharif has an opportunity to stem the murderous silencing of the Press by implementing security mechanisms for the media and delivering justice in the killings.

The report alleges a web of manipulation, intimidation, retribution and impunity that has led military officals, intelligence agents and criminal elements of political parties to threaten and attack journalists without fear of punishment.

It cites the cases of journalists like Wali Khan Babar in Karachi, who was shot on a busy street in 2001. While the police did launch an investigation and arrested suspects affiliated with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement political party, the investigation seems to have collapsed after five witnesses and other key figures in the probe were murdered.

The report makes detailed recommendations to the Sharif government on how to improve the situation but previous administrations have failed to stand up to the powerful ISI intelligence organisation, the army and criminal political elements, the CPJ claimed.